Fightlinker makes an excellent point in the midst of cock and ball jokes. 

It's been known to happen.

This came in the midst of a discussion of Maggie Hendricks' reporting (and Luke Thomas' excellent 'sky is not falling' post) on the angst felt by the traditional amateur wrestling establishment in the US at how many top collegiate wrestlers are making the leap right to MMA, with Jake Rosholt's WEC debut being the most recent example.  The overall feeling is that this growing sport, coupled with the loss of nearly 500 collegiate programs in the US over the last 39 years, could lead to a permanent drought in Olympic gold.

What happened 39 years ago?  The adoption of Title IX, which sought to end discrimination based on gender in America's educational system.  While it never specifically mentions athletics, it has been interpreted to mean that men's and women's athletic spending must be in parity.

The big problem with Title IX is it includes men's college football and college basketball, programs that a) cost lots of money and b) make unbelieveable shit-tons of it.  Volleyballs, softballs and swimsuits just don't cost that much, but the law is the law: parity in funding.  Thus, football and basketball get swank facilities and stadiums worthy of the pro's (the Seattle Seahawks played at the University of Washington's field while awaiting the completion of their new home, and there are hundreds of 40,000+ stadiums around the country, with Michigan's Big House capable of seating 100,000 at capacity), and other men's programs fall by the wayside, while women's field lacrosse is able to buy shiny new sticks and the curling team new brooms.

MMA might single-handedly save amateur wrestling in rural areas -  any kid that catches some MMA on TV is going to be intrigued, search around, and realize the nearest gym is 50 miles away or more away and oh yeah I'm 14 and can't drive.  Then, he'll see dudes in singlets during the prefight highlights (Rosholt, Cejudo, Hendo, etc) and ask his wrestling coach about them and he'll make the sale - the most dominant MMA fighters ever have been wrestlers, primarily (you'll hear the same thing from a BJJ coach, but go with me for a second).  A wrestler is born.

You want to save college wrestling?  Decouple men's college football and basketball from Title IX, with the express knowledge (or some sort of legal mandate) that these programs pay for the women's ones that can't even pay for themselves, let alone the school.

Or you could just legalize pot, tax it, use the money saved on jail cells ($100,000+ per year by some estimates for nearly a million marijuana offenses) for colleges and the tax revenue generated to buy rainbows and shit.  Just a thought.