COLUMN: Let the Ivy champs play on

From Marc Chodock's, "That's What I'm Talking About," Fall '98 In November 1945, the Presidents Policy Committee, consisting of all eight Ivy League school presidents, set the ground rules on all administrative regulations concerning football in a formal document known as the "Ivy Group Agreement." Among these policies included player eligibility, financial aid distribution and length of season. In 1954, the Ivy League extended all of these rules to all other sports. Somehow in this transition, one of the rules was bent. In the past half-century, the Ivy League has made many strides to change with the times. This year the Ivy League celebrates the 25th anniversary of its inaugural Women's Championships. However, while all sports are able to prove their ability to the rest of the nation, Ivy League football teams cannot. The hypocrisy of the Ivy League is deafening. Deemed an important topic by those affiliated with the Ivy League, little information has been released about developments in Ivy League football post-season play. A source familiar with the Ivy League office who asked not to be identified cites three main reasons for the conference's ban on a football post-season. 1. If an Ivy League team were to make it to the Division I-AA championship game, the sport would be the only one to encompass a complete semester. This could hamper a student's academic performance. 2. Teams participating might have to travel a long distance to play in the tournament games. 3. The seemingly large difference in ability between Ivy League and non-Ivy League teams might be embarrassing. Penn football coach Al Bagnoli and Villanova football coach Andy Talley find little credibility in those statements. Bagnoli pointed out that if a team were to make it to the national championship, the four months would be far less than the five and half months needed to make it from the beginning of the men's basketball season to its national championship game. In a study done by Talley, who has appeared in the playoffs five out of his 13 seasons with Villanova, the Wildcats football coach found that his players performed better in the classroom when the season was extended. Penn running back Jim Finn agrees that the structure football provides him causes him to achieve higher academically during the season than in the offseason. As for the "great" lengths a tournament team might have to travel, Columbia found themselves able to travel to Morgan, Calif., in a game against St. Mary's College October 3 of this year. On a similar note, Yale visited Soldier Field in Chicago for a game against Valparaiso last season. To their credit, Ivy League teams have fared well in their effort outside the league. In the 1997 season, Ancient Eight football went 15-9 against non-conference opponents. According to the hierarchy of the Ivies, for the conference to join the rest of Division I-AA the coaches must first propose an amendment to the athletic directors. Inquiries by a dean's panel will then follow, and the President's Commission holds the final decision. Faced in a position similar to the Ancient Eight, the Patriot League lifted its conference ban on post-season play. Colgate coach Dick Biddle feels the change will improve his team's recruiting ability, help it gain national exposure and reward his players for finishing at the top of their conference. Without any legitimate reasons to disallow Ivy League participation in the Division I-AA tournament, Bagnoli and other Ivy League coaches feel the Ancient Eight should change their ways. If Ivy League presidents pride themselves on listening to their students, hopefully they will keep that same ear open for their student-athletes.