Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-16

VARSITY BOYS MINUS FIELD
Regents Take Gridiron Away and
Provide No Substitute.
OMAHA NAY GET SOME OF GAMES
students Protest re Lack of Interest
Manifested by RcTcnts in
soorts---schcduIe Up
II Afr.


LINCOLN. f,eb.. Feb. 5-(spec!al)-
''Wil the co-nhuske-s be forced to aban-
don thsi- LEGAL foot ball schedule for 1905
and transfer games arranged for Lincoln
so Omaha OF some other city, This IS
the question which confronts the Univer-
sity Of Nebraska athletic authorities and TO
which they ere unable 20 answer no"
An answer now either IN the affirmative or
negative would be only a guess for the
settlement Of this question can come only
when the problem OF securing an athletic
field Is solved. At the present time Ne
braska has in sight no field for next year
and unless one S. secured before many
weeks there viii be no intercollegiate foot
ball Corncs 81 Lincoln next fan.
Next month ground will be broken on
tie present field for new engineering
building and historic Nebraska Field VIII
become thing OF the past. The Cornhusker
athletes viii be without a place of their
own for holding intercollegiate contests and
VIII be forced to leave the campus Ar
rangements have been made to have the
spring sports pulled off on rented grounds
and the baseball games will be played at
Antelope Park on Green's western league
diamond, while the track meets will prob
ably be held at the state fair grounds. But
no place has been provided yet for next
letic board has been trying to get a field
for several months. Consequently the
prospects for a home football schedule for
1908 are dubious. In fact the prospects are
80 poor that the Cornhusker management
win not schedule any more games for
Lincoln until It has been fully settled
that Nebraska win have a suitable grid
iron next fall.
Cornhuslers Hold Sack.
In turning over Nebraska field as a site
for the engineering building the board of
regents provided no other grounds for
athletic contests and left the Cornhusler
athletes without place on which TO pur-
sue their sports Now. with the spring
athletics at hand the Cornhuskers are
forced TO go away from the campus to
hold their track and base ball contests
Tho athletic authorities feel that the foot
ban games viii have to be played on or
near the campus in order to make the
gridron sport pay. Base ball and track
contests when pulled off on grounds far
from the university will lose money, OF
course. but foot ball at Nebraska is de-
pended upon to make up the deficit in
CURED by the other branches of athletics
and must be run on a paying basis
To play the foot ball contests at the state
farm, the only place now seemingly avail
able Ia Lincoln. the athletic authorities be-
lieve would make the gridiron game los
ing proposition. They feel few people be-
siee the strongest supporters OF the team
would journey to the state farm 10 see any
except the big games. They realize that
many people who would walk a few blocks
to see a game would not ride two or three
miles on a crowded street car to attend
one. Another objection to playing at the
state farm would be its Inconvenience to
the foot ball men. Experiences has shown
that majority OF the foot ball candidates
object to practicing daily at a place con-
siderable distance from the campus. for the
reason that the extra time It takes to
make the long trip keeps them away from
their studies too long and frequently spoils
the afternoons work. In this objection
the authorities see q menace TO the size
and efficiency OF the squad II the farm is
selected as a site for the field
Purchase 10 Big Proposition.
There are several lots adjacent to the
present athletic grounds on the north side.
which is an ideal location for Another field
They could be purchased and field fitted
Up that would be much better than the
present one. II the athletic department had
enough money. The land would cost about
$4,000 and the equipment of II would take
about $4,000. With only a few thousand
dollars in the treasury. however. the pur-
chase Of these lots Is out of the question
unless some OF Lncolns wealthy citizens
eome~to the aid OF the athletic board. The
members Of the board are hoping that such
viii BE the case and now they are playing
the part Of Mr.. Misunderstanding for
something TO tura up. II the right thing
does turn up soon the Cornhusker foot ball
uen will have a good home schedule but If
s1-f1T do rrffh
gridiron next fan and viii play all their
games away from Lincoln
The members Of the athletic board are
inclined TO criticlse the board Of regents
for appropTiating Nebraska field for the
use Of the Industrial school without max
ing provision for other athletic. grounds.
The foot ball men spent much money in
fixing up Nebraska field, Each season
for the last six OF seven years they made
costly improvements on the grounds and
now they feel that an injustice Is being
done them in taking the field away with
out giving them some recompense.
Manager Eager Protests.
Manager Eager voices the general senti-
ment Of tho board IA the comment which
he made on the situation:
The board OF regents have taken Ne
braska field and driven us from the campus
without suggesting how We are going to
get another home for our athletics. The
athletic department has a large amount
Of money invested the present field. 1t was
hard proposition 10 serape together enough
money 10 put the field in condition and we
went to no small expenses in erecting
bleachers. fence. and grandstand. The ex-
pense Of these improvements was borne
ly the athletic bOard-not one cent did the
regents pay. II seems 10 me that the board
Of regents in taking our field from US ought
- stand at least q part Of the loss 10 the
athletic department resulting from such
acion.
There is not school by the country al
which athletics are not aided and helped
financially by the university authorities
In some Of thes schools the coaches are
even paid out of the university funds We
st Nebraska do not ask this much from the
regents. but we do ask that they give us a
place on the campus for our athletics We
have q right 20 make this request. II is
high time something were being done to-
ward setting a field II We are 10 play any
games in Lincoln next fail"
scene OF Many straEsIes-