League Rule Halts Athlete

The quest for athletic "sanity" in the Ivy League has resulted in rules that defeat their own purpose.

The fate of Edward W. Cuffe '61 is a case in point. As a junior last year, Cuffe led the varsity basketball team in scoring. This year, he is ineligible.

Cuffe spent his freshman year (1954-55) normally at Holy Cross. In his sophomore year there, he was injured, and played only two games. Moreover, Cuffe dropped out of ROTC, with the result that he was drafted at the end of the year. Army Service

Then came two years in the service, including 16 months in Korea. While Cuffe was in training at Fort Devens, he came to Cambridge several times, and "decided it was better than Holy Cross." When he was mustered out, he took exams to transfer to Harvard, and was one of 12 successful applicants.

NCAA rules require that an athlete be in residence at a college for one year before he may participate in intercollegiate sports, so Cuffe, a sophomore by decision of the Harvard Administration, sat out the 1953-59 season.

Eligibility Requirements

Cuffe played a full schedule last winter, but then ran afoul of an Ivy League ruling: players must complete their four years of eligibility within four years of their matriculation, with exceptions only for illness, emergency beyond the student's control, or the draft. Since Cuffe had used up his four years and the exemption for military service, he brought his own case to Dean Watson. Ultimately the Ivy Committee on Eligibility voted him ineligible.

The four-year rule exists only in the Ivy League. Neither the NCAA (the national governing body) nor the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference has such a requirement.

Most scholar-athletes normally have three years of varsity participation; Cuffe had one year plus parts of two games. He points out that if he had not consulted Watson, no one would have acted: "My case wasn't cleared or even discussed in 1959, after my original class had graduated," he says.

Then came two years in the service, including 16 months in Korea. While Cuffe was in training at Fort Devens, he came to Cambridge several times, and "decided it was better than Holy Cross." When he was mustered out, he took exams to transfer to Harvard, and was one of 12 successful applicants.

NCAA rules require that an athlete be in residence at a college for one year before he may participate in intercollegiate sports, so Cuffe, a sophomore by decision of the Harvard Administration, sat out the 1953-59 season.

Eligibility Requirements

Cuffe played a full schedule last winter, but then ran afoul of an Ivy League ruling: players must complete their four years of eligibility within four years of their matriculation, with exceptions only for illness, emergency beyond the student's control, or the draft. Since Cuffe had used up his four years and the exemption for military service, he brought his own case to Dean Watson. Ultimately the Ivy Committee on Eligibility voted him ineligible.

The four-year rule exists only in the Ivy League. Neither the NCAA (the national governing body) nor the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference has such a requirement.

Most scholar-athletes normally have three years of varsity participation; Cuffe had one year plus parts of two games. He points out that if he had not consulted Watson, no one would have acted: "My case wasn't cleared or even discussed in 1959, after my original class had graduated," he says.