New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-09
TO REFORM ATHLETICS.
FRESHMEN IRE BARRED.
Yale, HarUmd and Princeton Plan
Ne1c EHgibility Rules.

New-Haven Conn. Feb S.-Yale, Harvard
and Princeton have practically agreed on the
most radical changes in intercollegiate athletic
eligibility rules in years. and will henceforth
bar all freshmen and members of professional
schools from varsity athletic teams. This will
make three years instead of four the limit for
participation in college athletics. This agree
ment was reached al the conference in this city
last night but the announcement was not made
until to-day.
The idea is understood to have originated with
Yale. Princeton at consented Harvard
hung back, Professor White declining to COM
NIT himself to the disbarment of freshmen in
intercollegiate athletics until Harvard had OFF,
cially acted the proposition. 1t is expected
however. that Harvard will join in the plan. as
Professor White pledged the support of his uni
versity conditional certain notifications or
the rigid plan urged by Yale and Princeton.
The action of the three universities is taken to
mean the beginning of new era in sport as
far as those universities concerned Inc
movement disbar freshmen grew out of the
wide criticism of the practice of PROSECUTING IN
the large preparatory schools by which method
all three universities have secured star football
and baseball players advance arrangements
before entering college; sometimes, it has been
alleged. offering inducements. 1t strongly
felt that schooboys with athletic regulations
were induced to enter certain of the large col
leges for the single purpose of getting on var
sity athletic teams, and that such men were
often promised positions if they would not go TO
rival universities.
The Yale undergraduate managers and team
captains came to an understanding of the sub
ject early this week, after a conference with
Walter Camp and the Yale special investigating
committee and decided TO submit the propo-
sition to Harvard and Princeton in a special
meeting for mutual agreement.
Professor Fine had discussed the same move
ment at Princeton. where the sentiment is said
to be strongly in favor Of it. Harvard draws
from it's professional schools more than Yale
or Princeton for it's varsity teams.
1t is felt at both Yale and Princeton that
athletes often join professional schools 10 con-
tinue in athletics and are well known
where star athletes have taken postgraduate
work in order to play on varsity teams. IL is
understood that the new rule will go into erect
next fall and will not affect the present fresh
man class In 1892 Yale cut off professional
school athletes from varsity teams, but in 1898
abolished that rule and adopted the present one
year residence rule.
Beyond this agreement on the new three year
playing rule, the tricCllege conference here yes
terday also discussed several other important
matters, among them the abolition of profess
sional coaches, the cutting down of gate re-
Ceipts and the restriction of other expenses.
This undergraduate action at Yale in moving
for these reforms is outside of the movement
of the faculty to reform athletic abuses and
make football less prominent in the public eye.