Patriot League votes to allow athletic scholarships

The Ivy League is now the only conference in the United States that gives out purely need-based scholarships. In the fall of 1998, the Ivy League will be the last remaining Division I conference that prohibits athletic scholarships. The presidents of the seven main Patriot League schools voted Tuesday to allow so-called "athletic grants-in-aid" in men's and women's basketball. But several of the league's institutions said they would continue to offer only need-based financial aid, as the Ivies do. Because schools from both conferences often schedule each other in basketball -- and many other sports -- the Patriot League's decision could have repercussions for the Ancient Eight. Athletic scholarships effectively increase a school's chances of luring better student-athletes. Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said the decision will have an adverse impact on the Ivies. "It's certainly going to be a problem for the Ivy League," Bilsky said. "I think we should watch to see what happens with the Patriot League." Patriot League Executive Director Constance Hurlbut did not share Bilsky's views, though. "I don't foresee it having a strong effect," Hurlbut said, noting the two conferences have no formal arrangement with each other. Hurlbut added that it would take some time until the level of play in the Patriot League improves as a result of scholarships. "I think if that happens, it's going to happen over a number of years," she said. The Patriot League, formed in 1986, includes Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Army and Navy are federally funded and do not need to offer any type of aid. Holy Cross -- which stopped awarding athletic scholarships upon joining the Patriot League -- has been the most aggressive so far. The school's trustees voted this past weekend to recommend providing grants-in-aid for basketball. Next month, the Reverend Gerard Reedy, Holy Cross's president, will announce his final decision on the matter. Kathy McNamara, a spokesperson for Holy Cross, refused to say whether Reedy would approve the recommendation. In addition, Hurlbut would not divulge how many of the schools' presidents voted to allow athletic scholarships. Several presidents' statements, however, reveal a deep division within the league. The presidents of Bucknell, Lafayette and Lehigh all said they would continue to offer solely need-based aid to athletes. "We cannot declare an exception in our athletic programs without undermining an important institutional principle and commitment," Bucknell President William Adams said. Lafayette President Arthur Rothkopf cited the prohibitively high cost of athletic scholarships in explaining why his school would not exercise its option under the Patriot League's new rules. "This use of resources is not compatible with Lafayette's ongoing efforts to control costs and minimize increases in the price of tuition while improving the quality of our academic and co-curricular programs," Rothkopf said in a prepared statement. Ivy League Executive Director Jeff Orleans was unavailable for comment.