Wrestling program among ASU sports to benefit from move from Pac-12 to the Big 12

Arizona State wrestling coach Zeke Jones has faced a few challenges since taking the helm of the program nine years ago. The Pac-12 only has three schools fielding teams, with another three "affiliate" members making it possible to have conference competition. He has had trouble filling his schedule and has to travel to the other coast several times a season.

The status of the Pac-12 when it comes to the sport has also been used against him when it comes to recruiting.

Well, both of those issues have been resolved with the announcement over the weekend that Arizona State will be moving from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 effective with the 2024 school year. While a lot of focus has been on football, wrestling and men's basketball are the spots in which the Big 12 has a considerably higher profile than that of the Pac-12, of which ASU has been a member since 1978.

"It's exciting times, right? The world is spinning in the sports world and we're one of those dominoes that have fallen, in particular for us in fantastic fashion. You know the history and the tradition of the Pac-12, I wrestled in it," he said. "We've accomplished a lot there. However the world is changing and the move to the Big 12 is just a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to showcase our skills, to be able to wrestle against the nation's best. The Big Ten and the Big 12 have really dominated the landscape of wrestling for decades so for us to get swept into that group and be able to compete at the highest level is unbelievable."

ASU has emerged as a national contender with Jones at the helm. It finished seventh in the nation a year ago, two spots behind a Big 12 power in Missouri. The Sun Devils were fourth in 2022, with those two showings among the four top 10 four times since 2015.

Oklahoma State has accumulated 34 Big 12 conference titles, with Iowa State and Oklahoma next at eight and seven respectively. Those three schools have also combined for 276 individual weight class champions. Iowa State has 306 All-Americans, 70 of which are national champions with Oklahoma State boasting 246 individual All-Americans.

While ASU has been competitive with the nation's best, it has had to use tournaments throughout the country to elevate its status, with not many schools in the West fielding teams. The only other Pac-12 schools with the sport are Oregon State and Stanford. Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Arkansas Little-Rock are the "affiliate" members. So the change of conferences will greatly enhance ASU's profile.

"I think they all know we're coming and we're coming to compete and compete at a high level," Jones said. "Obviously competing in the Big 12 is a stepping stone. I don't think anyone will tell you they only want to win Big 12. We want to win national championships and there is a tremendous history of tradition within the Big 12 of winning championships at the highest level."

Jones added that he feels better about the long-term stability of the program because of the move. Wrestling is not one of the better-funded programs and one like his always runs the risk of being expendable if it comes down to gender equity issues. Being part of a conference where there is an emphasis on the sport will help.

Stanford planned to cut wrestling after the 2021 season, along with 10 other sports but a series of lawsuits and backlash from athletes kept it off the chopping block.

"I feel much more stable now regardless of the challenges that athletic departments are facing all over the country. We are in a premier wrestling conference and being one of those schools that will be an anchor, like an Iowa State, we are an anchor like those programs. We're in a premier conference where wrestling matters and is important so I feel really good that we're here to stay for a long run."

Jones added that his recruiting strategy won't necessarily change because he has recruited nationally any way but it may help him land more prospects from the part of the country where the sport is bigger such as the Midwest.

"One Big 12 competitor used it all the time. `Why would you go to the Pac-12? It's not very strong,' so then I would have to go on and say why the Pac-12 could help you win a national title," he said. "We won some of those and lost some of those. Now they can't use that argument anymore. That I think will be huge. And I do think it is easier for the families, knowing we're going to be there more often now. "

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Missouri is the defending Big 12 conference champion, with Oklahoma the runner-up. The championship meet is held annually in Tulsa.

Oregon State is the reigning Pac-12 champion. The Pac-12 has held its conference championship at a host school on a rotating basis.

Jones said he was not sure what would happen with the remaining Pac-12 schools since the conference does not have enough teams to conduct a conference championship now because of the ASU departure but said he would like to help the other schools in any way he could.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is there an advantage for Pac-12 wrestling programs in the Big 12?