Klitzman | Shake that jamboree, Ivy League

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to watch three different Penn teams - football, men's soccer and women's soccer - compete against rival Princeton. And in New Jersey, no less.

I was able to accomplish this Quakers trifecta because of one of the more under-appreciated quirks of the Ivy League, something called "jamboree weekends."

These fall weekends feature several teams from one school - normally football, the two soccers and field hockey - traveling to another league rival. (The volleyball squad rarely participates in these weekends due to its double-round-robin setup.)

"We want to create a carnival-like atmosphere," said Carolyn Campbell-McGovern, senior associate director of the Ivy League.

"There are a lot of other games [besides football]. And fans can go from one game to the next. We want to make it an event."

According to Campbell-McGovern, these weekends have been around for at least two decades. In recent years, however, this tradition has been cut back somewhat.

"Each school has maybe two or three of those weekends a year," she said. "It used to be . every weekend would be one of the jamboree weekends. However, mostly because of the NCAA tournament schedules, we've had to adjust."

Specifically, NCAA tournaments are the reason why Penn's jamboree weekend will never occur with Cornell - at least not before 2023. The Ivy League football slate is set until then, with the Quakers and Big Red continuing their tradition of facing off on the last Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Yet because the men's and women's College Cups and NCAA Field Hockey Tournament all start in mid-November, it's literally impossible.

Penn's three jamborees were at Yale on Oct. 25, home against Brown during Homecoming two weeks ago and, of course, this past weekend at Princeton. Finally, this Saturday, football and men's soccer face Harvard - with Penn's Ivy title hopes on the line - although both field hockey and women's soccer are done for the year.

While all four teams drew season-high crowds against the Bears, it's hard to isolate what impact, if any, this scheduling had on attendance, since it was during Homecoming.

But regardless, the Athletic Department could do a much better job with promotional efforts. While each game might be individually advertised, few students realize that these weekends exist.

Even using the word jamboree would help. Seriously, how much more interested would you be by attending a "jamboree event" than just another Penn game?

The Athletic Department could even dole out bonus Red and Blue Rewards Program points to students who attend all four events.

In short, Quakers fans already know the restrictions that separate the Ancient Eight from the rest of Division I.

Why not let one of the league's inarguably positive characteristics earn more prominence?

Zach Klitzman is a junior History major from Bethesda, Md. His e-mail address is klitzman@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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