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Show SPORTLIGHT Sewanee Tries 'Amateur' Plan By GRANTLAN1) BICE THERE are now probably eight or 10 strictly amateur colleges o; universities in the United States. The others are either semi-prc semi-prc or strictly pro in many details. de-tails. There is at least a taint of professionalism pro-fessionalism connected with any college that prose- idea," Johnny Kieran says. "Only if they will do the right and smart thing and abolish gate receipts you won't have to bother with football foot-ball pay rolls or proselyting. Let th3 public in free. This settles all arguments." It is the only way that all arguments argu-ments will ever be settled. I still don't believe college football was started to bring in $500,000 or a $1,000,000 a year to university funds, through its winning teams, frequently built up at any price. Big Ten Again? There is a chance that the Big Nine will become the Big Ten again. If this happens, the new member will be Michigan state. Why not? Michigan state today has 15,000 students. It also has one of the best football layouts in the game, a new stadium that can handle 55,-000 55,-000 spectators. In Dr. John A. Harmah, it might also be noted that Michigan state has one of the leading college presidents presi-dents of the country. The Big Nine was also the Bir Nine in 1908. That is the year when Michigan revolted. The Wolverine? stayed out until un-til 1917 when they finally returned re-turned to the fold. The Big Ten stuck until Chicago university abolished football, and ever since then there have been attempts at-tempts by several outsiders to take Chicago's place. The Big Nine has been in no hurry to make it the Big Ten again. But, if there is any change, Michigan state is almost certain to be the one selected. Michigan state aid Michigan are something like California and U. C. L. A. The first two are state universities uni-versities in Michigan, just as the two others are state universities in California. lytes, solicits or gives out a scholarship scholar-ship or a dime to any athlete. Only those colleges that treat an athlete as they would a lead ing math or English Eng-lish scholar come under this heading. Which are these Grantland Rice few colleges? We first contacted Jim Gregg, an alumnus of Sewanee, the university that started the pure amateur plan. Sewanee has had its day of glory from 1892 to 1936. It has had its great teams, its leading stars Simkins, Lanier, Lex Stone, Faul-kenberry, Faul-kenberry, Harris Cope, Rex Kilpat-rick Kilpat-rick (brother of the general, and iruch bigger) Kirby-Smith, etc. "But," as Jim Gregg put it, "Sewanee decided in the win-i win-i ter of 1945-1946 that 'big-time football' didn't belong in Se-wanee's Se-wanee's scheme o' scholastio life. The athlete was to be treat-e. treat-e. as anv other student. "Sewanee had no fault to find with other universities. We simply believed that subsidized football was not for us. Then the problem of a schedule came up. We finally lined up Centre, Mississippi college, Presbyterian, Hendrix, Maryville, Hampden Sydney and Kenyon. Only one of these failed to keep its agreement. Henurix dropped out because the cost of traveling to 6ewanee and Millsaps was added. "Gate receipts are unimportant. (As we understand it, there are no gate receipts. Possibly nominal ones against the $4 and $5 collected collect-ed today.) Football at Sewanee cost the university $19,000 in place of the $500,000 or $1,000,000 that Michigan, Notre Dame and . others earn from the sport. Football Foot-ball is simply treated as Latin, English and math are treated a necessary part of a university's curriculum." In other words, Sewanee's educational course wasn't arranged ar-ranged to strengthen the Bears, . . Packers, Giants, Eagles, and Forty-Niners, where four years " of college is a waste of time. Not a bad thought. "Sewanee has about the right |
