INDIANAPOLIS---The 2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, on ESPN2, set ratings and household records.

The March 20 wrestling finals at the Savvis Center in St. Louis averaged a 0.6 rating and 542,042 household impressions, making it the highest-rated and most-viewed NCAA wrestling telecast in ESPN2 history. The previous bests were in 2001 when the Division I Wrestling Championships, held in Iowa City, Iowa, averaged a 0.4 rating and were seen in 318,864 households.

"In terms of exposure, television is a key ingredient of showing the sport of wrestling nationally," said Curt Blake, chair of the Division I wrestling committee. "In the last several years, we have gone from having our championships tape-delayed to having the finals shown live this year for the first time. What this does for growing the sport, especially in the grass roots population, is that it allows wrestling to be seen by more people than ever before. The rating and the number of households and viewers is absolutely tremendous for the sport."

The 2005 Division I Wrestling Championships will be held March 17-19, also at the Savvis Center.

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