Practical Purity

The recent agreement among the eight Ivy League colleges is based on the premise that over-emphasized athletics have no place in an educational institution. Forming a closed group with strict rules regulating all sporting contests, the schools have banned spring football practice, athletic scholarships, and team participation in any sectional championships. But they extend the idea of purity too far in absolutely prohibiting players in all sports, from lacrosse to football, from playing in post or pre-season all-star games.

Such a policy is consistent with the rest of the Ivy agreement, but by aiming at this consistency, the schools automatically exclude individual participation in certain worthy contests like the East-West Shrine charity game, or strictly amateur all-star soccer or lacrosse matches. This competition is far removed from the "big business" bowl games and the over-emphasis of athletics that accompanies fat gate receipts.

Instead of a blanket prohibition of post-season participation, the Ivy agreement should allow each school to decide in which contests its athletes can participate. In this way, individual excellence would receive national recognition without danger of commercial exploitation.