The Washington herald., 1915-10-03
An Eastern Conference
Would Boost Grid Game
Forming Organization Would
Settle Question Of Champ
Should East Meet West.
RECOGNITION OF EAST

New York, Oct. 2-wouldn't it be
d great boon to football if the big
colleges in the East formed confer
ence such as exists in the West and
then. at the end of each season. the
winner of the East played the winner
of the West for the gridiron cham
ptonship of the country?
Year after year the question of
whether the Eastern champion is su-
perior to the Western goes unsettled
The fastener contends that Eastern
footballers are the peer of any in the
West; the West SCOTS at such an idea
and claims that any of the crack
Western elevens could smother the
best in the East. And there you are
arguments pro and con, day after
day. year after year-and the great
question is a question still.
Even if the Eastern colleges didn't
want their champion to play the title
holder of the West, it would be
great thing for football if nine OF
the big colleges in the East formed
league, arranged schedule among
themselves and settled each year be-
yond the possibility of dispute, the
question of real supremacy in the
East.
In years gone by Yale, Harvard and
Princeton were looked upon as the
only college that was entitled to
to make no difference what another
eleven did. If Yale beat Harvard and
Princeton, even though it was tied or
beaten by one Of the so-called small
err elevens, Yale would claim the
championship. Even though one of
the other elevens won every game it
played-and rolled up enormous
scores.
New Football Levels "Bfg Three"
But that day passed with the COM
ing of new football which has rob-
bed the big three of its one time big
edge" in bulk and has placed the
lighter eleven on an almost equal
footing. Football enthusiastic no long
er accord to Yale. Harvard and Prince
ton the divine right to monopolize
championships. In future their claims
cannot be allowed unless they can
show a record superior to any other
college eleven in the East
How simple it would be-and how
satisfying to the lover of the gridiron
game-if the big elevens in the East
did form a league, battle largely
among themselves, as they do in the
West. and conclusively settle the
championship each year.
The Western Conference consists of
nine colleges Illinois, Chicago, Mime
sofa, Wisconsin. Iowa, Ohio State, Pur-
due, Indiana and Northwestern. Most
Of the teams play each other every
rear-and the championship problem
is made easy III solution. Last year
Illinois won the championship-won it
ruflsputably. Chicagos record was
rext best and Chicago got second
piace The ranking order of the other
teams is as they read at the top of
tbs para graph.
Scggeats Eastern Conference.
Why no. such a league in the East
v-:ti these nine colleges entered, Yale.
harvard. Princeton. Dartmouth. Pitts
,.urgh. Army. Navy. Cornell, and Penn
.yivania All these colleges now OBJ
serve the one year eligibility rule,
which bars the playing of freshman.
Livery team in such a league would
show up well. and the fight ought to
Ic close one
There isn't much doubt but what six
q those colleges-Army, Navy, Dart
,louth. Cornell. Pittsburgh. and Penn
svlvania would agree to such a plan
lccauSe there is real craftsmanship at
those institutions-and no snobbish-
n, S. But the one time big three
would prove the stumbling block for
a time. They've become so used to
thinking in Yale. Harvard and Prince
ton that they are the high lords of
football that the idea is deep rooted
and it would be a hard job to extract
1t.
But it can he done if enough pres
sure is brought to bear-and 1t should
he done for the sake of the great COL
lege game.