The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-25

Sucn institutions as DRAKE. knox, Lake
Forest. Notre~ Dame, Oberlin. California |
into what may be styled the major |
league This is the second application i
from Nebraska the first having been re- |
fused by the conference.
The present membership of the big
nine" includes Minnesota, Michigan, Wis
consin. Chicago, Indiana, Northwestern,
Illinois, Iowa and Purdue. Nebraska
counts upon Mnneusota's support in get |
ting recognition of her claim, and if the |
cornhuskers win from Northwestern |
Thanksgiving Day, as seems likely, the |
case of the victors will be materially |
strengthened
Opposition to Cornhuskers.
In many quarters it is felt that Nebras-
ka is not large enough institution to |
maintain the standard set by Michigan, |
Chicago, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and
that bad year in football would result in
the cornhuskers dropping to the foot of
the list in western athletics. A prominent
football fan said recently in discussing |
this point:
while Nebraska has made a strong
showing the last two years, the school
can hardly be rated with Michigan. Wis
consin, Minnesota Chicago and the other
members of the former big hve' 1t Is
nearer the class of Iowa, where they have
a. star team for couple of years and
then drop out of the running altogether
for a. number Of years While the corn
huskers have a good team this year and
had also last year, they are not likely to
have such strong aggregation next sea-
son or the following one. number OF
schools have been admitted to the con-
ference that are not able to hold up thelf
end of the string. Such institutions
should organize a minor association and
I believe Nebraska is losing the chance
of it's life in failing to organize confer
ence Of it's own, including sucn schools
as itself and Kansas, Missouri and other
western colleges that are certainly on
par with the big ones Of the central west.
Their rules concerning amateur players
could be the same as the conference rules
and the two organizations working to-
gether would prove a strong bulWark for
amateurism and against PROFESSIONALISM
in our college athletics. Besides that
Nebraska university. which is at Lincoln,
| is too far away from the other members
of the conference to arrange regular
games and it would be for the best, 1T
seems to me, to oppose this application
| of the western team I
Geographical Location.
Geographical location is the rock upon
which Nebraska's hopes are likely to be
| wrecked The cornhuskers may reason
| ably be expected to maintain a position
! in football quite as good as that enjoyed
| by Purdue, Ind, Iowa or Northwestern
| during the last few years 1T must De
remembered that scientific football mas
| been known at Nebraska for only three
| years. or since the advent of Coach Booth
| The reputation gained during these years
| is likely to attract to the institution
large number Of students from the I'M
mense territory upon which Nebraska can
draw, and pretty rapid growth may pc
expected at the institution for the next
! few years.
| Moreover the athletic prominence
| gained by Nebraska university will slim
| uIate interest among the high schools, ana
a steady and fairly rapid development OF
| the standard of the game in that section
will follow. So far as football Is con-
cerned Nebraska must me regarded as
a. DANGEROUS proposition for any member
| OF the big nine. In fact in any branch or
college abilities Nebraska may be ex-
pected to show up quite as well as purdue
or Indiana, for the record of these teams
makes the reason for their ADMISSION 10
| the conference a mystery.
| Not In the Right Territory.
It cannot be denied, however, that Me-
hraska is not logically in the territory
| Of the big nine,' and the difficulty OF
| arranging games between the cornhusk-
! ers and the other members of the confer
| ence would prove a great obstacle to the
fulfllment Of Nebraska's =: desire: AS
! stated in the above interview, Nebraska
| belongs geographically with Kansas, Mis-
souri,. Colorado and other institutions,
| which may be expected to take rank IN
| time with the best teams of the middle
| west.
| Even did Nebraska secure membership
in the "big nine,' she might ma trouDle
| in getting football games with the best
| teams The general standard of football
is steadily rising, and every year neces-
| states harder schedules for the champion
ship asspirants. This point will count
against the cornhuskers in getting a
! foothold in college sports. t..
| Another proposition which the CONFER
! ence will discuss is the question OF
! lengthening the limit Of eligibility Tor COL
! lege athletes to five seasons. Northwest
| ern will suggest the change, and PROFESSOR
| O. r. Long. chairman OF the board or attn
! letic control Of that university, himself a
most severe critic of any faint OF profess
sionalism in college teams, will speak In
| favor of extending the time limit.
| Professor long sent to the executive
| committee Northwesterns propositions,
but too late to have them included in the
| circular some days ago. In support OF the
! proposition to extend the collegiate limit
i to five years. Professor Long said:
l. Here in the west we have chung to the
| eastern rule for four years, refusing to
consider that in the east with all the
| preparatory schools, the players enter the
| colleges with good knowledge Of football
! and other athletic sports. Here much
! of the material comes to US raw, and the
| first year necessarily is occupied in teach
! ing the men the rudiments of the game.
| IF we could have a 1ve-year limit we
| should be able to develop good teams in
every college, for the first year would be
but a training for actual college team
| work. ~ -. Ts -..-
BADGERS TAKE IT EASY.