Buy the Dartmouth Swim Team on eBay

The programs that a college supports, academic or athletic, says a lot about the priorities of that school. A school that thinks that a good education includes both intellectual and physical development supports a variety of academic and athletic programs. A school that believes that training a person for future life includes establishing good intellectual, moral, and lifestyle habits will set up a program that does that. I mentioned several college programs that I believe properly integrate academics and sports. These schools do it at all levels, from the club/fun teams of Cal Tech, to the good teams of the Ivy League, to the superior teams of Stanford. Another school, such as Dartmouth, that drops a sport because they find it difficult or expensive to be 'competitive' at a particular level says quite a bit about its priorities. Perhaps it should redefine what makes a successful athletic program. But for now we know that if it can't win, it won't play. As for some other schools - surely most people see the hypocrisy of dropping sports so that the 'revenue' sports of football and basketball don't have to take cuts? (What is the revenue for?) And then these schools blame it on Title IX? I hope every athlete goes to a school for the education, but I know it is not true. The 'farm team' role of colleges in football and basketball subverts the very purpose of these institutions (at least until they recognize 'football' and 'basketball' as degrees of study like Biology or Philosophy.) I fully expect all athletes in college to maintain a rigorous academic program. I also have nothing but respect for those athletes (such a Phelps) that have forgone a college education to dedicate to their sport. No one argues that schools don't have to make choices, but the choices of a Cal State school should and will be different from an Ivy League school.

The programs that a college supports, academic or athletic, says a lot about the priorities of that school. A school that thinks that a good education includes both intellectual and physical development supports a variety of academic and athletic programs. A school that believes that training a person for future life includes establishing good intellectual, moral, and lifestyle habits will set up a program that does that. I mentioned several college programs that I believe properly integrate academics and sports. These schools do it at all levels, from the club/fun teams of Cal Tech, to the good teams of the Ivy League, to the superior teams of Stanford. Another school, such as Dartmouth, that drops a sport because they find it difficult or expensive to be 'competitive' at a particular level says quite a bit about its priorities. Perhaps it should redefine what makes a successful athletic program. But for now we know that if it can't win, it won't play. As for some other schools - surely most people see the hypocrisy of dropping sports so that the 'revenue' sports of football and basketball don't have to take cuts? (What is the revenue for?) And then these schools blame it on Title IX? I hope every athlete goes to a school for the education, but I know it is not true. The 'farm team' role of colleges in football and basketball subverts the very purpose of these institutions (at least until they recognize 'football' and 'basketball' as degrees of study like Biology or Philosophy.) I fully expect all athletes in college to maintain a rigorous academic program. I also have nothing but respect for those athletes (such a Phelps) that have forgone a college education to dedicate to their sport. No one argues that schools don't have to make choices, but the choices of a Cal State school should and will be different from an Ivy League school.