Evening star., 1932-09-28

foot ball, or vital lmpOr-
tance because of its bear
ing on other college sports
and on physical education pro-
grams, is giving considerable con-
Germ to those responsible for the
upkeep of these schedules and
programs.
In some schools rather drastic cur
tailments already have taken place in
providing for what is expected by many
to be a rather lean year. Others take
an opposite view-that this season will
be no different from any other season
and that schools with good teams and
attractive schedules should fare well,
while schools with poor teams and un-
attractive schedules may have difhcultv
getting by. Which is about as it always
has been.
INTEREST in foot ball il just as keen
i as ever, and with lowered prices at
most places greater crowds are likely
to attend games than were in the stands
last season. OF course, it may be that
the lower prices may cause a slight
falling off in receipts, but it is not to
be expected that the exorbitant prices
formerly charged for some games
games that even with those exorbitant
prices filled great stadia in all sections
of the country-can be continued under
present conditions
There is no doubt that the price of
tickets to some games in the boom
years WAS beyond all reason, though,
like almost everything else. the question
of supply and demand probably gov
erned that condition. However, 81, IS
or Sc for foot ball game is simply
tco much money. and more money than
people under present conditions are
going to pay.
AS far as the present season is con-
cerned. it is probable that the same
conditions that have governed gate re-
ceipts again will control The teams
such as Georgia turned out last year
should not lack financial support, but
the teams such as that which repre-
sented Georgia Tech will not draw big
attendance. Successful presentation is
just as popular in foot ball as in any
other line of endeavor. If Roosevelt
were elected President. great crowds
would gather to see him pass. but if he
is defeated not corporars guard would
turn out.
nF course, there are some foot ball
~ games. attractive by virtue OF the
traditions OF decades, that always
will draw big partisan crowds and also
their share of the general public when
the general public can get tickets to
such games. These are not to be con-
sidered IN the considerations that gov
ern the crowds that attend games that
do not bear such distinction. For these
latter contests, the coming season is
unlikely to be much different from all
the seasons that have gone before. A
meeting of two great elevens should fill
the stands, while game in which meet
two elevens that have already been
smeared by various and sundry oppo-
nents will be given little attention
The successful elevenS of the South
last year had very successful financial
results. notwithstanding that generally
speaking 1t was poor year from that
standpoint. much worse than this is
likely to be. On the other hand, the
unsuccessful elevens had hard going.
Tulane and Georgia, strongest of South
ern elevenS, had the best financial sea-
sons in their history, while Alabama and
Georgia Tech, which the previous year
had the best fell to less than 40 per
cent OF the previous years income.
MO matter what the outlook, those
~ responsible for the management of
athletics and physical education
in the colleges naturally should have
some concern about the financial situa-
ton. They make up their budgets for
the year on basis of what they expect
in the way of gate receipts, and If gate
receipts fail to come up to expectations
then only two recourseS are left, either
to curtail the years program. often very
inconvenient to other schools, or to let
the program go on through and finish
In the red. Some schools have had to
do both.
One South Atlantic institution last
year cut to the bone its base ball. bas-
ket ball, track and physical education
programs, but still finished with def
cit of about $1,000 Other schools that
were more successful went on through
with their programs without difficulty
and finished with small surpluses. The
same varied conditions are likely to exist
after the coming Thanksgiving day.