ST. LOUIS — College wrestling's biggest weekend has no chance of making a splash beyond the confines of the sport's niche appeal. Not against the start of the real March Madness.

Coaches of some of the top programs have recognized that truth for years. They'd just as soon avoid the NCAA basketball tournament that captivates the nation in the future, perhaps making wrestling an exclusively second-semester sport with the title decided in April.

"There's a lot to offer from this sport that's not in the mainstream because of the lack of exposure," said Tom Brands of defending national champion Iowa. "So we've got to figure something out."

The subject has been percolating for years. Nebraska's Mark Manning recalls J Robinson of Minnesota advocating searching for a new date as far back as 1997.

The tournament is being held in St. Louis for the fifth time this decade, and has thrived in the central location. St. Louis holds the top three all-time attendance figures, with a record 96,944 for the three-day event in 2000.

"I just think we're missing the boat," Manning said. "We're beating our heads against a wall going against March Madness."

Organizers expect this year's event to give the city the top four marks with sellout crowds totally ignoring the bracketology. Inside the Scottrade Center, with action taking place on eight mats on Thursday and 700 matches in all to be decided, the faithful roar for takedowns, one- or two-leg style.

Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission, anticipates that any calendar change probably wouldn't take effect until 2013. March dates have already been set for the next three years, although Viverito added, "Anytime is good for us."

Missouri's Brian Smith was the lone dissenter among five coaches at the pre-meet news conference, believing wrestling is doing just fine. He noted the finals are being televised by ESPN and wonders whether whatever momentum the sport has built could be lost if it changes dates.

"It's kind of scary if you say you're going to change it to the spring, to me," Smith said. "This sport is growing on TV."

Proponents of the change point out that those who care about the sport will be aboard, no matter when the event is held.

"The wrestling fan is going to come in April just like he's going to come in March," Manning said. "I think it would be a tremendous change, just move it ahead. It just makes good sense."

Cornell's Rob Koll noted the publicity other sports have garnered by finding a less hectic spot on the calendar and declares that it's "suicide" to stick with the status quo. Among men's sports, baseball (mid-June), soccer (mid-December) hockey (mid-April), outdoor track (early June) and lacrosse (late May), to name a few, all have much a better shot at attracting the casual fan.

"Lacrosse gets unbelievable promotion and exposure, at least in Ithaca, N.Y.," Koll said. "There's nothing else going on at that time of the year and if you look at their attendance figures they're absolutely exploding, where ours are stagnant at best."

Koll, who has coached Cornell to 10 Ivy League titles, would take it a step farther. He advocates shortening the season by a month.

Even at wrestling-mad Iowa, which led the nation with an average meet attendance of just over 8,000 this season, Brands isn't arguing that assessment. The Hawkeyes are prohibitive favorites to win their 22nd championship this weekend, which as always is in danger of getting lost in the shuffle.

"When you're stagnant, which we seem to be, you probably have to go outside the box a little bit and take some risk," Brands said. "I don't like to mess with tradition myself, but we've got to grow the sport, too."