Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
ATHLETICS IN THE
WESTERN COLLEGES
Dissatisfaction at the Recent
Action of the Conference
Association.
Claimed That Institutions With
Least Standing in Sports
Are in Control.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

y IN" dA u ~. oe1oAAkS4As
There have been few things more puzzllng
to eastern college men than to follow the
devious wanderings of the professors who
| rule athletics in the Western intercollegiate
Conference Association. better known as
the Big Nine" One year ago the western
ers astounded the intercollegiate world by
passing legislation which reduced all foot
ball schedules to five games each, limited
an athletes eligibility to three years, abol-
ished all training tables and in general
passed laws calculated to cause as much
discomfort to athletes as possible A month
ago the same men convened again and de-
cided to modify their rules by extending
the foot ball schedules to seven games and
granted several other important conces-
sions. The athletic legislators went home
we'll pleased with their work but to their
chagrin they discovered that their conces-
sions were not satisfactory to the faculties
they represented
There were exceptions to this. for Michi-
gan and Chicago approved the new rules in
toto. Wisconsin and Illinois were the first
to kick over the traces, both being opposed
to seven foot ball games. They received re-
cruits and when the second meeting was
called it was evident even before vote
was taken that the principal concessions
made at the previous meeting would be
killed.
Michigan Threatens to Withdraw.
Now Michigan, in particular threatens to
withdraw from the conference and a good
many persons familiar with the situation
sympathize very strongly with the wolver-
ines. A study of the votes cast at the last
meeting shows that the most insignificant
colleges in the conference were ones which
were responsible for the killing of all con-
cessions, the Northwestern which has prac-
tically withdrawn from all intercollegiate
athletics; Wisconsin. almost as bad in this
respect; Purdue, seldom a factor in any
athletic meet, while Indiana Iowa, Illinois
and Wisconsin voted against enough of the
new rules to completely tie the hands of
Chicago and Michigan. the only universe
ties that stood by the legislation of the pre-
vtous meeting.
Michigan and Chicago are particularly
wrOth that their hands should be tied abso-
lutely by a college like Northwestern,
which, although a member of the Intercol-
legtate Association. takes little or no part
IN any form of sport, yet Northwestern
holds the balance of power and by her vote
decides on what shall be the athletic policy
of Michigan. There is much resentment at
the attitude of Northwestern and the Ann
Aroor men think the Evanston authorities
are playing the dog in the Manager act
1t was thought that Northwestern, being
unable to take any part in competitive ath-
letics, would withdraw from the association
course which to the outsider appears the
proper one to pursue.
Reinstatement of MICHIGAN.
The prospects for Michigan to get back
into the Intercollegiate A. A A. A, this
year are particularly bright At the meet
iDp nf he
although no action was taken it was the
consensus of opinion that the derelfctions
of the western collegians should be forgot
ten and the university reinstated Graduate
Manager Charles Baird will attend the an
nual meeting of the association February
%, when Michigans case will be decided
If Michigan is admitted she will certainly
abandon the western intercollegiates and
compete in the east this spring The pres
ence of Michigan will certainly upset things
at these games and some of the colleges
which have been figuring on the points they
Will score may have to readjust their calcu-
latlons, for Michigan has unusually
strong team and practically as good a
chance to win the Intercollegiate as Penn
sylvania or Cornell. the two acknowledged
favorites for the honors in the east.
Meet Not Definitely Decided.
Although the executive committee of the
Intercollegiate A. A. A. A. last week voted
TO recommend that the coming CHAMPION
ships be held at Cambridge there is no GER
tainty that the association at its annual
meet on February % will vote to do this.
There is a very general misconception as
to the powers Of the executive committee
on this point The constitution of the asso-
citation provides that all the details of the
annual meet are to be arranged by the ex-
ecutive committee which takes office imme-
diately after the annual election in Febru-
airy. The present committee, which ar
ranged the last meeting. has no power to
pass this matter and can do nothing
but recommend. 1t will be recalled that
two years ago the old committee recon-
mended that the games be awarded to Har-
ward, but the new committee ignored this
and awarded them to Pennsylvania. And
it Is not impossible. though hardly likely
now, that history may repeat itself.
There is good reason to believe that the
association at it's annual meeting will vote
to exclude all freshman athletes from COM
petition at the intercollegiate champion
ships The leading universities of the east,
with the exception of Columbia, bar fresh
men of their own accord, but there are few
of the minor colleges which are willing to
do this. This rule will bear hardest on col
legeS like Dartmouth and Amherst which
have very strong teams but SteadfaStly re-