Closer Than Ever

The stereotype is that Harvard students are an army of necktie-donning robots who would much rather spend their spring break studying for the LSATs than watching sports. That stereotype was proven firmly wrong this week, as Harvard men’s basketball competed in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship for the third year in a row. As others may be quick to point out, this is also the fourth time the Crimson has competed in the tournament, period, in the entirety of the program’s history. But while the stereotype of our school may persist, no one can deny that men’s basketball is setting a trajectory for future success—and excellence both inside and outside the classroom.

Normally, “athletics” and “Harvard” only come together in the context of the Harvard-Yale Game in the fall. It is fitting that Harvard clinched its ticket to the NCAA Championship with a 70-58 victory at Yale. The team ended the season with a 27-5 overall record, marking the most wins in the program’s history. The team defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first round, thereby advancing to play the Michigan State Spartans.

Although Harvard ended up falling 80-73 to Michigan State, the Crimson’s run in the tournament proved that there is more to competition than winning. Thanks to the work of the basketball team over the past three seasons, campus pride has skyrocketed. Last year’s March Madness bid drew student-organized viewings of the game in house common rooms. This year, students and alumni tuned into the big game, and expressed their joy and pride on Facebook and Twitter. Falling in the midst of Harvard’s weeklong spring break, the championship bid provided a unique opportunity for the greater Harvard community to bond without the stress and rigor of academic commitments.

While the response to Harvard’s championship run is remarkable, what is more so still is that this run even occurred at all. As an Ivy League institution, Harvard does not provide athletic scholarships to its athletes. All financial aid at Harvard is need-based and all admissions need-blind. We applaud this policy, for it insures that a Harvard education truly is for anyone with the drive to succeed, no matter their background. While such a policy may shrink the pool of interested sport talent, we believe this is a small price to pay in order to make Harvard a more egalitarian institution.

Schools that prioritize athletics over academics might mock Harvard’s decision to emphasis the “student” in student-athlete. But as the representative of the Ivy League in the NCAA Championship this year, and therefore the representative of the Ivy’s unique method of enrolling athletes, Harvard has done well. By defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats, seeded 5th to Harvard’s 12th, the Crimson has shown that student-athletes can be just as passionate and skillful as athletes from other schools.

But pride in securing a place at the NCAA tournament should not be used as an excuse to compromise academic priorities. Harvard's reputation has always been one of scholastic quality, and this must not be sacrificed simply to fill our rosters with talent that only expresses itself on the court. While the Crimson values holistic development of students in both the arts and athletics, the expectation should be that all students can compete in the classroom as well. It is comforting to know that in spite of the pressure of athletic recruiting, coaches maintain a respect for academic requirements as well, and we hope this will continue to be the case.

We hope that Harvard’s victories will provide a compelling case defending its admission and recruitment policies. By saving scholarship dollars for students who actually need financial assistance, Harvard has proven that it can remain true to its principles while also managing to produce a dedicated and winning athletic team. We hope that the last three years are just a taste of what the future will bring, and will inspire more school spirit. Go Crimson!