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NCAA grass might not be so green

JAMES MIRTLE

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 9:44 PM EST 22/01/08

Former Mount Allison president warns that U.S. system doesn't have unlimited numbers of scholarships
...Read the full article

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  1. Anne Mathews from Canada writes: I live in BC and don't know what these Universities are thinking. I've gone to a UBC game and frankly, you can shoot a cannon through War Memorial gym for women's games. I can't see alumni donations coming in at such a fast and furious pace that it will offset the increased travel costs.

    Right now, I want to go and see Canadian schools like Alberta and UBC play out their growing rivalry in volleyball or the Vikes and UBC in basketball. But, there's no incentive for me to fork over my ten dollars on a Friday or Saturday night to see that rousing (sarcasm) rivalry that UBC is developing with the University fof Anchorage Alaska.

    And if this article is right, and the better players don't stay, then we'll probably see more Washington and Pacific Northwest athletes take those scholarship opportunities. I would venture to say, in the long run, this will probably end up with less opportunity for local athletes and possibly Canadian athletes as a whole.

    This is ego making this decision. Nothing more if you ask me.
  2. P McLean from Canada writes: First of all, Division II is a completely different animal than D1, and the schools know that. This article is just a writer trying to make a story. I have no doubt Ian Newbould knows what he is talking about, but he was asked questions that quite frankly are nothing more than media fabrications. Hockey is the only sport where D1 would have to be dealt with because there is no DII. As far as travel costs, it will actually become cheaper for UBC to play in a conference where the teams are in Washington state as opposed to the trips they have to make now. This is part of the reason for this possible move. They have to travel all the way to Winnipeg as it sits now. What added costs are there from going to Washington State as opposed to Winnipeg and Saskatoon? The better players' stuff is hogwash as well, because the best Canadians already leave for Div. 1, and several school already have a number of Americans playing on their squads. Whatever spots get lost to Americans, may also open other sat other schools for Canadians, because at the DII level, our universities and those are comparable. There isn't the huge difference like with D1. I think there is very sound reasoning behind this. The only ego involved are those who are trying to make this what it isn't(moving to D1) to make a story.
  3. James Mirtle from Toronto, Canada writes: Two points here in response to P McLean:

    1) UBC has consistently said they would go to the NCAA to keep the best Canadian athletes in Canada. In order to do so, they would need to make the jump to Division I when they were eligible

    2) Based on size alone, UBC is far too big a school to be competing in Division II. Their enrollment numbers are high enough that they would actually be one of the larger schools in Division I

    Newbould also said it was completely reasonable to think UBC could participate at the Division I level, and there are all sorts of schools that have recently made the jump from Division II.

    Division I may be the 'big time' at its highest levels, but there are many, many programs with modest budgets that compete there.
  4. Orange Latern from Brampton, Canada writes: Newbold isn't being completely honest here. I know kids who went for soccer, golf and wrestling and the only thing they paid was the deposit on their dorm keys plus the transportation cost to get down to school for opening day.
  5. P McLean from Canada writes: Division I is not just about the size of the school, it is about the commitment to athletics. That in part means a football stadium of a certain size, facilities up to a certain standard, a budget of a certain amount. UBC will have a large enrolment compared to most of D2, but that doesn't mean they are automatically D1. Look up "Unpaid Professionals" by Andrew Zimbalist. It will give a very good perspective on NCAA athletics. UBC etc will fit into D2 nicely.
  6. Orange Latern from Brampton, Canada writes: I wonder if the Canadian schools have thoroughly investigated the monster known as Title IX before going this route. Lord knows that the women's groups have bastardized its original intent to suit their agenda.
  7. P McLean from Canada writes: That is a good question orange, although it applies to institutions receiving federal(read US) funding. So long as the conferences themselves don't get any money that way they would probably be ok, but you never know with those groups.

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