The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-01-20
SPORTS of TIMES
Grid Trouble
On Campus
BY LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor

College football last season attracted 20 million
fans - a rev all-time record. Yet, there are signs that
college football actually may be on the skid. It's reign
as king is being threatened.
This Of course, isn't apparent in this part of the
country, particularly at Ohio State University which
Just doesn't have enough real estate IN its Stadium
stands to seat its w%ild-eyed, partisan fans.
ELSEWHERE, THE PICTURE isn't so bright.
Marquette University made nationwide headlines and
was a major story for the countrys sports announcerS
last month when the school announced it would field
no more football teams.
This caused quite a commotion for several rea-
sons. First of all, Marquette is the largest co-educational
Catholic Jesuit University in the US. Also, the school
had a football history which dated back to 1892. Its
teams enjoyed greatest prominence in the 1905. In
1887, Marquette was chosen to play in the first Cotton
Bowl game.
But the University, located in Milwaukee, Wis,
suffered a 20-year football decline and fielding a grid
team became a money-losing proposition.
MORE RECENTLY, SCRANTON University an
nounced it too was tossing in the football towel. The
Jesuitoperated school, situated in Scranton, Pa, had a
A mark last season. Reason given for the action was
high expenses and low attendance.
Also calling it quits last week was the University
Of Denver, a member of the Skyline Conference. An
annual operating deficit, which reached 500, 900 last
season, was the explanation given by the school which
is run by the Methodist Church. Football at the Uni
versity of Denver has become prohibitively expensive"
was the flat declaration made by the schools chancel-
lor.
The College of Pacific, a school which enjoyed its
greatest glory days" when quarterback Eddie "the
Little Magician LeBaron was performing, has cancel
led some of its 1861 football games. Observers feel that
eventually COP also will join the sideline crowd.
MANHATTAN, ORDHAM where Green Bay
Packer Coach Vince lombard played as one of the
famous "seven blocks of grante'), Creighton, Santa
Clara, st. Mary CCalif), San Francisco and Loyola OF
California are among other Catholic schools which
packed away football toys for good since World War II.
The number Of Catholic colleges fielding football
teams is quite small and is likely to grow even smaller.
Many other colleges also are likely to abandon the
game as the financial squeeze grows too tight.
Still, a person might point out, college football
attendance is a record high. Indeed it is, but atten-
dance growth hasn't come close to keeping pace with
the tremendous population growth of the country.
DISCUSSING THE ENTIRE COLLEGE grid situa-
ton, DR.. Eric A. Walker, president of Pennsylvania
State University, pointed out that tougher admission
standards and sharp competition from pro teams even
tualy will end college football. This is a pretty e-
IRENE position to take, especially when addressing the
American Football Coaches Association as DR.. Walker
did.
In his speech last week, DR.. Walker said higher
standards and pro competition will lead to steadily de-
Ginning gate receipts" in college football and bring
about a re-emphasis of the Sound and solid values"
to be gained from the sport.
He pointed out that already the greater avail
ability OF football" due to teleVised games and the rise
of the pros has seemed to have diSSlpated, to a GER
tain extent, the wild excitement and excessive emotion
that used to surround Saturday afternoons rGcc-
tacular."
THE oUTsPoKEN PENN STATE president feels
that rising admission standards will exclude ONE of
the best football talent and that pro teams may estab-
lish farm teams like baseball and not depend on col
leges for talent.
DR.. Walkers views certainly are thoughtprovok-
ing but college football is faced with a provocative
situation. Rising costs, television, pro football and
abuses are hurting the college sport.
EVEN SO, COLLEGE football remains popular and
strong-generally speaking. But the future holds many
pitfalls. How we'll the colleges can skirt these pitfalls
may well determine the fate of the college football.