Fallen goal posts could be costly for U.

and PETER MORRISON With every great victory comes a price. In the case of the Quakers' decisive win over the Princeton Tigers on Saturday, the price tag could reach up to $20,000. As the rowdy Quaker faithful stormed the field and tore out the west goal posts, dumping them in the Schuylkill River, they also uprooted a considerable sum from the University's pocketbook. Depending on the extent of the damage, Associate Athletic Director Elton Cochran-Fikes said, it will cost the University anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. "We're still trying to determine the full extent of the damage," Cochran-Fikes said. "The people who initially installed [the goal posts] are going to look at it and make an assessment." Larry Lauchle, director of supportive services for athletics, said Clark Construction, the company that installed goal posts, will be at Franklin Field tomorrow to examine the damage. Lauchle said he was surprised when the fans' jubilation became a spree of destruction Saturday afternoon. "When I was in the stands, I was thinking how nice it was that they're all going out there to congratulate the players," Lauchle said. "All of a sudden, somebody made a right-hand turn and started going for the goal posts, and I was saying to myself, 'uh-oh'." Lauchle said it is fortunate the goal posts are steel rather than aluminum. "We changed the goal posts from all aluminum to steel, which, as people could see Saturday, bent very slowly," he said. "Steel will bend, where aluminum will just crack and break." Cochran-Fikes said if the University cannot obtain new goal posts by the next home football game against Cornell University on November 20, temporary goal posts with removable wheels will be used. "We conduct all practices with temporary goal posts," Cochran-Fikes said. "The major difference is that temporary goal posts are portable and have two posts, while permanent ones have one boost neck post in the center." The foundation of the goal posts never came out of the ground on Saturday, which could require more work than merely installing new goal posts. "We have to have the engineer come down and take a look at the field," Lauchle said. "Hopefully we won't have to dig the whole thing out with a jackhammer and take up the field. It requires a lot of work." Vice President of Facilities and Management Arthur Gravina said he is not worried about a possible fine from a city disgruntled by goal posts floating down the Schuylkill. "To my knowledge, these kinds of things are not considered toxic waste, so we have never been fined for [throwing goal posts in the river]," Gravina said. "It is not something that happens every year. Our concern is the safety of everyone, and luckily, no one was hurt."

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