The New Horseshoe

When the Corporation decided to chop off the Stadium's north end, it did so simply as a matter of income and cost. Maintaining the steel stands was expensive and few sat in them anyway. But the decision is more significant than account books would suggest.

It is important as an illustration of what the Corporation does and does not worry about. Many colleges are not concerned with the comparatively piddling sums that go into adjusting a few bolts or rust-proofing some girders, but rather with the problem of cramming a mass of paying spectators into the stands. These institution must ponder over the expense of maintaining physical education scholarships, supplying make-work jobs promising quarterbacks, and keeping the alumni with successful coaches. In addition they must worry whether or not the football gate receipts will cover single the expense of maintaining their athletic plants.

Except for a few stray noises about expansion and some letters from football-minded graduates, the Corporation has scarcely heard of these problems in connection with the University. Through a rigid policy of keeping athletics in its proper place, the University has allowed itself the relative pleasure of concentrating on bolts and girders instead of crowds and gate receipts.

Perhaps this is not too pleasant after all, considering the large H.A.A. deficits that yearly intrude upon the Corporation's deliberations. But at least there is not that problem of tailoring academic goals to athletic records which has plagued many other universities for the past several years. The Corporation's decision had no connection with questions like this--that, not the dollars saved, is its significance.