New Athletic Plan Will Permit Freshmen on Crimson Varsities

For the duration of the war, Freshmen will be allowed to compete on Varsity teams in intercollegiate sports, beginning in September, according to a statement made last night by Director of Athletics William J. Bingham '16.

In line with many other colleges, Harvard will not only try to continue its present athletic curriculum but expand it as far as it seems advisable, starting this summer and including an extension of intramural sports in keeping with the speeded-up academic program.

Regular spring sports, such as tennis, golf, and baseball will continue into the summer under regular schedules yet to be made out, and, in addition, there may be a program of intercollegiate contests in other sports such as softball.

In contrast to the policy in the last World War when the College cancelled its entire sports program, Bingham said that Harvard will try as far as possible to keep all athletic dates in all sports including football, which may start practice earlier in September.

No official action is expected from the University, however, until the Faculty meets in February. The system to be adopted will depend upon what President Conant and the presidents of Yale and Princeton decide under the terms of the agreement which already exists between the heads of the three universities.

Coaches to Work All Year

To take care of the coaching necessities of the accelerated program, all coaches will be on duty 12 months of the year. Thus every undergraduate in the summer session should receive adequate instruction in all sports as well as during the rest of the year.

Bingham favors a plan that would make every undergraduate participate in some part of an athletic program more or less similar to the one being planned at Cornell.

Although Freshmen will compete in Varsity sports, it will not necessarily mean that all Freshman teams will be cancelled. The first year men who do not make Varsity squads will probably be absorbed in regular Freshman teams and in the expanded intramural system.