Raise the Recruiting Bar

At the behest of Ivy League presidents, the league’s athletic directors are considering broad transformations to the athletic recruiting process. But one of the proposals being studied by the athletic directors—decreasing the number of athletic recruits—would be an unnecessary mistake and would endanger many of Harvard’s quality athletic programs. On the other hand, raising the minimum standard under which recruits are admitted—a proposal mentioned by Harvard Director of Athletics Robert L. Scalise in a recent interview—would be a sound and prudent move.

The proposed decrease in the number of football recruits would clearly harm the Harvard football team, as it would all Ivy League teams. Because Ivy League schools do not award athletic scholarships or redshirt players—allowing first-years to practice with the team, yet preserve a year of athletic eligibility—Harvard sports teams are already at a competitive disadvantage compared to other Division I teams. Decreasing the number of athletic recruits would only compound that disadvantage. In addition, a decrease in the number of recruited athletes would compromise junior varsity athletic programs, as fewer prospective players would be admitted—forcing young recruits to shoulder an even greater load on the varsity teams.

Instead of decreasing the number of recruits, athletic directors should raise the minimum standards for athletes’ admission to ensure that everyone is fully part of Harvard’s academic community. Under the current byzantine admission guidelines, recruits must have an academic index score—which is composed of class rank and standardized test scores—above a minimum that is far below the average of an admitted Harvard class. Increasing the minimum academic index score required of recruits would ensure that Harvard’s primary mission of education is not sacrificed at the altar of organized sports while ensuring that teams still have plenty of excellent players.

Sports, though a worthy pursuit, have never been at the core of an Ivy League education. While athletics can be a vital part of the Harvard undergraduate experience, they are no more intrinsically valuable than are the dozens of other extracurricular activities—from music to community service to journalism—in which Harvard students take part. Yet having quality athletic programs is rightly one of the University’s priorities, and in order to have these programs, Harvard must recruit athletes. Instead of drastically reducing the number of recruits, the athletic directors should realize that most of a college education takes place inside the classroom, and should therefore recommend raising the minimum admissions standard.