Evening star., 1940-01-04
By JOHN L. GRIFFITH,

Dy +
Commissioner of Athletics for the Western
Conference.
CHICAGO, Jan. 4 R.-College
athletics in 1899 showed steady i'm
provement over the preceding year in
interest both from the standpoint of
the participants and the general
public.
National collegiate championships
sponsored by the N. G. A. A. in track
and field, cross-country, swimming
wrestling, gymnastics, boxing and
basket ball were highly successful,
as were the national tennis tourna-
ment conducted by the U. S. L. T. A.
and N. c. A. A. and the national golf
tournament under the management
of the N. G. A. A. and the U. S. G. A.
College football remained the pop
ular sport in the estimation Of the
public, as was shown by the scores of
crowds ranging from 1000 to 106, 900.
In fact, although 1898 was better
year than 1887 from the standpoint
Of attendance at the games, the at
tendance figures of 1889 exceeded
those of 1885, The rules have be-
come pretty well standardized, with
the result that football followers
have better understanding of this
intricate game than formerly was
true.
Show Tendency to Segregate.
The colleges and universities in
1899 showed a tendency to divide
into two groups, the first group COM
posed of institutions that provide
athletic scholarships for their foot
ball players. In some of these in
stitutions the athletic scholarships
are paid for out of university funds
and others by alumni or other
friends of the institutions. The sec
ond group Is composed Of institu-
tions that are attempting to operate
their athletics on non-paid-player
basis. The members of these two
groups In 1899 showed tendency
more and more to schedule games
with members of the same group.
Each year some of the colleges
drop or add sports to their inter-
collegiate program. Fully 500 insti-
tutions of higher learning that had
conducted baseball as an intercol-
legiate sport have at some time or
other dropped the game. Many
again added this sport to their list.
Some so years ago Harvard
dropped football as an intercol-
legiate sport, but in a short time
again sponsored the game. Other
nationally known universities that
have at one time or another dis
continued football as an intercol-
legiate sport, only later to promote
and sponsor the game. are Colum-
bia, Northwestern. Stanford and
the University Of California. During
the year Of 1899 the following insti-
tutions have announced their in
tentions of not continuing football
on an intercollegiate basis this
coming year: Birmingham-South-
ern, Loyola at New Orleans and
the University Of Chicago.
Basket Ball Gains Fans.
Basket ball showed greater growth
as judged from the standpoint OF
spectator interest than any other
sport except the winter sports during
the year DR.. Naismith, the founder
of basket ball, died.
AS of 1910, all indications point
toward good year in practically
all of the IA sports that generally
are listed as college games.
Baseball, which primarily is q
professional game, showed some in
crease in the colleges in 1899 and
with the impetus gained should
carry over into 1910.
The Olympic games for 1910 will
not be held, but the college track
and field men would have beer
ready to defend Americas laurels
had the war between Finland ano
Russia not taken place. The N. C
A. A. appointed college Olympic
Finance Committee under the chair.
manship of Frank Mccormick Of
the University OF Minnesota. This
committee reports that a number
Of colleges added a tax to football
tickets this fall, with the result that
a sizable sum of money was raised
This money will be impounded anc
used in sending the Olympic team
to London in 1914.