The Rise and Fall of NCAA Boxing Championships
College boxing, once a prominent and highly regarded sport within the NCAA, experienced a significant decline despite its past popularity. From 1932 to 1960, college boxing was an officially sanctioned sport, capturing the attention of large audiences and producing dominant programs. However, a series of factors, including concerns about safety and changing attitudes towards the sport, led to its eventual discontinuation by the NCAA.
The Golden Age of College Boxing
In its heyday, college boxing was a major draw, particularly in the Midwest. The University of Wisconsin emerged as the sport's dominant program. The Badgers secured eight national titles and hosted seven NCAA tournaments. Boxing matches in Madison, which were held in the school’s basketball arena, routinely drew more than 12,000 fans, with a record 15,200 people attending a bout against Washington State in 1940.
Other institutions, such as the University of Idaho and Idaho State, also boasted successful boxing programs. The Vandals won three national championships in boxing, tied with San Jose State for the second most all-time. Idaho State won two national titles as well.
Wisconsin’s John Walsh was considered the greatest college boxing coach. A former Golden Gloves champion himself, Walsh became the Wisconsin coach in 1934, and his boxers won 35 individual titles in addition to their eight team titles.
Seeds of Decline
Despite its popularity, warning signs of potential problems were emerging within the sport. As boxing's popularity and revenue increased, some coaches began recruiting experienced amateurs from Golden Gloves and AAU clubs. Some of the boxers had as many as 50 bouts or more behind them. This trend concerned some observers, who worried about the changing atmosphere of college boxing.
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To counteract this trend, the CCBC effectively eliminated recruiting by adopting a rule that no student could compete in intercollegiate boxing who, after his 16th birthday, engaged in competitive bouts under auspices other than those of his school. Today a CCBC boxer may be awarded a grant-in-aid, amounting to $81.25 a quarter at the University of California, to pay his registration fees, but that is just about it. The grant is never promised as an inducement to go out for boxing. Instead, the varsity is chosen from the ranks of intramural boxers, all novices who box for the fun of it. College boxing nowadays is among the very purest of sports.
The Tragedy That Changed Everything
The turning point for college boxing came in 1960 during the NCAA tournament. During the tournament a popular Wisconsin boxer, Charlie Mohr, collapsed in the dressing room and never regained consciousness. He died eight days later. Mohr and his opponent, Stu Bartell of San Jose State, wore padded headgear and the requisite 12-ounce gloves, which are supposed to be protective. In the eyes of those present, Bartell's punch, which landed on Mohr's left temple, was not a particularly good one, though it knocked Mohr down. He was up at the count of two, considered to be a good sign, and the referee found his eyes clear. He told the referee he felt all right. He moved around well for about half a minute. Then, as Bartell began to punch him once more, the referee moved in and stopped the bout, partly on the principle that Mohr had little or no chance to win. No one suspected that he was seriously hurt.
Mohr's death sent shockwaves through the college boxing community. The incident amplified existing concerns about the safety of the sport, leading to increased scrutiny and calls for its elimination.
The End of an Era
Following Mohr's death, the NCAA discontinued its sponsorship of boxing after 1960. This decision marked the end of an era for college boxing.
Daryl Talken, Chico State heavyweight of those days, now a high school English teacher at Fremont, Calif., recently undertook a national survey to find out what had happened to college boxing. He discovered that less than one-third of colleges have even an intramural program. Nor is there any indication that the condition will improve. None of the four college coaches still functioning in intercollege boxing-Ed Nemir of California, who has been at it for 35 years, all at Cal, of which he is a graduate; Willie Simmons of Chico State; Jim Olivas of Nevada; and Ray Lunny of Stanford-has much hope that in their career time the sport will revert to its former glory. "Nobody will listen," said Nemir. "We don't try anymore." Representatives of two Eastern universities where boxing once was big agree with Nemir. Roy Simmons, for 30 years the boxing coach at Syracuse, whose teams compiled a 107-49-14 won-lost record, has, at the request of Eddie Dooley, New York State's boxing commissioner, tried to revive the sport-with no takers. And William W. Cobey, director of athletics at the University of Maryland, says, "All in all, there is no talk of bringing boxing back, and I have no desire to see it come back."
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The Aftermath and Legacy
While NCAA-sanctioned boxing disappeared, the sport did not vanish entirely from college campuses. In 1976, American collegiate boxing was picked up again by the National Collegiate Boxing Association. The National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) is a non-profit college sports organization that organizes boxing fights for student athletes. The association falls under the auspices of USA Boxing. NCBA member schools are encouraged to develop their instructional and intramural programs with emphasis on the teaching of fundamental novice boxing skills. Contestants for the national tournament are decided by a regional tournament for each NCBA region, with the first- and second-place boxer from each weight class in each region advancing to the national tournament.
In 2012, the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association (USIBA) was formed and hosted the first national championships for women alongside a men's division.
Early National Champions
Before the NCAA officially sponsored boxing championships, national championships were conducted from 1924 to 1931. The first year of NCAA sponsorship of the championship was 1932.
Penn State won the inaugural intercollegiate boxing tournament in 1924. In the following years, Navy emerged as a strong contender, capturing the team title in 1925, 1926 and 1931. Penn State secured additional championships in 1927, 1929 and 1930, solidifying its place as one of the early powerhouses in college boxing.
The California Collegiate Boxing Conference (CCBC)
The conference was formed in 1959, in part because of discontent among the founders about the way intercollegiate boxing was being conducted nationally and because of a well-founded prescience that the sport was headed for disaster if certain practices were continued. (Nevada was not an original member but was invited in about the same time that California Polytech, the University of Santa Clara and the University of San Francisco dropped out. The word "California" nevertheless stayed in the title.)
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To counteract this trend, the CCBC effectively eliminated recruiting by adopting a rule that no student could compete in intercollegiate boxing who, after his 16th birthday, engaged in competitive bouts under auspices other than those of his school. Today a CCBC boxer may be awarded a grant-in-aid, amounting to $81.25 a quarter at the University of California, to pay his registration fees, but that is just about it. The grant is never promised as an inducement to go out for boxing. Instead, the varsity is chosen from the ranks of intramural boxers, all novices who box for the fun of it. College boxing nowadays is among the very purest of sports.
A Look Back
Despite the pessimism of intercollegiate boxing's adherents, the colleges might consider the wishes of their students in regard to the sport. At Nevada, when it was proposed to give up boxing, the question was put to a student vote. Boxing won 885 to 87, and some of the 87 said later that the question was phrased ambiguously or they would have voted otherwise. The faculty voted for it, too. But at the University of Wisconsin where Charlie Mohr died, the faculty stand has not changed. Athletic Director Ivy Williamson says, "There have been no pressures or interest to restore boxing here.
tags: #ncaa #boxing #championships #history
