Ivy Presidents Ban Spring Practice In Sports Report

The eight Ivy Group colleges yesterday issued a statement announcing the abolition of spring football practice, the prohibition of participation in any sort of post-season football games, and the requiring of each school to play every other at least once every five years.

The announcement was made by the presidents of the eight colleges, not the athletic directors. They agreed upon eight points, effective immediately.

The Points

"1. To abolish so called football clinics, that is, the practice of assembling high school coaches to explain and demonstrate coaching methods of the staff.

"2. To abolish spring football practice because of the peculiar pressures on football and their (the presidents) desire to avoid intensity of athletic specialization in a single sport. In taking this action, the Committee recognizes that the same evils may exist' in other major sports and they are proceeding with a study of this matter.

"3. To start fall football practice for all institutions on Thursday, September 4, 1953.

"4. That beginning with the fall of 1953, each institution would play every other institution in the group at least once every five years.

"5. To study ways and means of reducing the number of games scheduled.

"6. To reaffirm the principles of control of athletics by the athletic authorities, this control to include scheduling policy, eligibility, the award of scholarships and student aid.

"7. To amend the eligibility rule in the present agreement by including the following: 'Beginning in 1954, no student shall be eligible whose secondary school education or whose post-college education is promised by an individual or group of individuals not closely related to the family as a consideration for his attending the college which he now attends.'

"8. To amend the rule in regard to post-season contests, to read as follows: 'The subscribing institutions shall not engage in post-season football contests or any contest designed to settle sectional or other championships, and no player representing these institutions shall participate in such contest, and no coach shall undertake to coach teams entered for such contests.'"