Evening star., 1940-02-08
Nassau and Harvard
Only Universities
Spurning Ether
SIS Levy on Undergruds
Considered; Palmer
Studium Eats Coin
By LAWRENCE PERRY,
A~>Atay (ArrAs~A~AA~k - Th> G<s0

NEW YORK, Feb. 8.-Two things
at least may mark the financial
conduct of athletics at Princeton
as . result of the fact that football
receipts last fall fell below estimated
income, thus dealing the budget a
savage blow.
First, it is likely that Princeton
will depart from its policy of with
holding from sale OF the radio broad
cast Of football games in its sta
dunn. At present Nassau and Har-
ward are the two universities which
refuse thus to make capital Of their
games.
Another move may be the assess
ment of each undergraduate of a
yearly sum.
Concerning this latter project, it
Is fact that several years ago the
athletic authorities had the assess
ment plan under advisement. De-
tails had been worked out, among
them the payment by students of
SIS year each. At first 1t was
planned to assess only students who
were self-supporting, eliminating
those paying their way. But in
Difference to student sentiment it
was decided that no distinction
should be made.
Would Have Balanced Deficiency.
1t is entirely likely that had not
the depression assumed an increas-
tngly serious aspect, the project
would have been put through and
would be in effect today. If this
were the case, and say 1900 under
graduates were paying SIS each,
more than $33, 900 would be realized
from this source alone. 1t would
balance, with many thousands of
dollars to spare, the 1889 deficiency
in football receipts.
Adding this to money accruing
from the sale of broadcasting rights,
Princeton's financial situation as to
athletics would be happier than it
Is now. If the two expedients are
not adopted, others, it seems clear,
will be.
Palmer Stadium, for one thing, is
an item requiring an annual outlay
for repairs with sums involved often
being significant. In fact, the
athletic association, in addition to
paying rental to the university for
the big concrete amphitheater, al
ready has spent more money in
repair and restoration than the
original cost of the structure, which
was presented by Edgar w. Palmer
and dedicated by Dartmouth in
1914. And there are other unusual
plant and equipment charges.
The one measure already adopted
by the athletic authorities to meet
the present situation is destructive
rather than constructive. The annual
interscholastic meet, an event which
has been an important feature on
the Nassau athletic calendar for AZ
years, has been abandoned.
Termed Defeatist Gesture.
If the editors Of the student pub
lication, the Princetonian, represent
the sentiment of the undergraduate
body this action generally is dep
recated as defeatist gesture. In
an indignant protest against the
measure the editors suggest the
revival of the abandoned assessment
plan and sale of broadcast rights in
football to some sponsor, just as the
other member of the Big Three,
Yale, has done-to its great financial
satisfaction.
Princeton and Harvard have with
held from this action on the ground
of commercialization of football, an
attitude adopted in the face of fac
tors of pronounced commercial cast
in the conduct of football both at
Cambridge and Princeton.