The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-07

New York. Feb 6.--Present indica-
tons point to sweeping changes in the
control of intercollegiate athletics in
this country. Many followers of this
branch of college activity are convinc-
ed that the time has come for definite
action In CURLING the tendency toward
commercialism and other evils and
esta blishing a control by the faculties
which will do away with the present
undergraduate and graduate control
New York State colleges have already
taken the initiative in advancing the
new order of things and ii is believe
the entire country will follow suit.
Faculty control. which its advocates
believe will furnish the solution of the
present problem and the salvation of
intercollegiate competition, is based
on the idea of having all of the coll
lege activities in sports amenable 10
the faculty of the college, which, If
Carried in&o effect. will aritf0abgediy
mean that the college president will
become the ruling factor in intercol-
iegfate competitions OF the future.
The coaches of the teams will be-
come members Of the faculty through
the department of physical education,
and in this way the president will be-
come the real power
A committee representing the va
rious colleges of this State Is now in-
vestigaUng the problem of university
athletics with a view. TO establishing
faculty control. 1t was appointed last
week at Albany at Il meeting of the
presidents and other officials of New
York State colleges. Columbia. Cor
nell, Syracuse, in fact. nearly all of
the colleges. were represented by sew
eral officials, in addition to tho presl-
dents, and II was the opinion that
something should be done to eradicate
the evils OF intercollegiate competi-
ton. The committee which was APP
pointed will go into every phase OF
college activity and attempt TO estab-
fish order and uniformity in the con-
tro, OF sport. which the faculties real
ize have been lacking under the pres
ent system of part graduate and part
UNDERGRADUATE administration.
Evils That Must BE Uprooted.
The entire scheme of intercollegiate
athletics, II is considered has become
permeated with evils that must he
eliminated no matter what the cost or
how great the opposition which may
develop among the alumni General-
Nv speaking the chief objection OF the
faculties lie in the fact that compe-
titions as now conducted tend TO Il
lower grade OF scholarship. The pro-
fessors believe that too much em-
nbasis has been placed on the degree
OF athletic skill developed instead OF
on the scholastic. knowledge acquired
/ by the student.
/ Rut this. while 1t is one of the inn
portant issues. does not by any means
embody all that the faculties desire to
banish from intercollegiate sport one
of the big evils slated for destruction
! ia the tendency to commerclallZe sport
This evil was started in the big UNI
yersitles. and has become part on
the athletic regime of nearly every COZ
lepe This, it is said. has been
brought about by the graduates, their
efforts being seconded by the students
in the college.
To Danish this evil it will be neces-
sarv to rearrange the present coach
ing system By faculty control. the
coach will become a member or the
faculty. an his tenure of Office will not
he determined solely by his ability to
turn out winning teams Al present
this condition prevails and an IN
ordinate desire to win is developed
DIR. Mcylan Blames Rapid Growth.
In discussing the situation last week
Or George T.. Meylan. head of the
Department of Physical Education at
Columbia University. said TO Times
reporter:
intercollegiate athletics in this
country are the product of rapid
growth, and, as In any other sphere
OF activity under similar conditions.
there has developed scheme that ls
not altogether satisfactory. The evils
that have crept into cometition have
lin part arisen because of the atti-
tude taken by the faculties OF the coll
leges when athletics was In it's infancy
The lame is far from resting with
ti.e students. When college sport be-