Dear Editor:
As one who devoted most of a career in higher education to Ball State University and who loves the institution, I have some questions.
How long is the leadership of Ball State going to continue the insane pursuit of "big time" football?
After three weeks of the season Mid-American Conference teams are 0-29 in games against other NCAA 1-A teams, having been outscored 1115 to 401. Ball State, as usual, is 0-3, having scored only 18 points to the opponents' 126. These results are beyond embarrassing! They are humiliating!
Why do those responsible for decision-making at BSU persist in this wasteful, fruitless and foolhardy effort? Surely, by now, they must realize that there is virtually no chance of achieving success in becoming a football power, that no advantage is to be gained even if they were successful and that the negative outcomes of continuing on this path are enormous. Ball State will never be a football power!
A recently reported study conducted under the auspices of the Knight Commission confirmed findings of earlier comprehensive research. The study group concluded that institutions which are successful in major college athletics and/or spend large sums of money on intercollegiate sports realize no significant, lasting gains in fund-raising, nor do they enhance their attraction of quality students.
With the knowledge of these findings having been confirmed yet again, what possible value appropriate to the mission of an institution of higher education could realistically be derived from the futile attempt to play major college football and have your team annihilated three times in the process each season before the conference schedule begins? To be more specific, what benefit was derived from having the Cardinals slaughtered by the Purdue Boilermakers 59-7? The answer to both questions is obvious - NONE!
Ball State is wasting scarce resources which could be better utilized to achieve legitimate purposes of the institution. (I realize that the University gets substantial payments for having its football players be sacrificial lambs of opposing teams, but these funds would not be needed if BSU had a rational athletics policy. A significant amount of the funds are wasted anyway providing all-expense-paid trips for administrators and others to attend these games.)
It is time for the leaders of the University, in collaboration with faculty and students, to finally face reality and revise their approach to intercollegiate athletics! Do they have the intelligence, skills and guts to do what is right for Ball State University?
James Marine
Assistant Dean for Student Programs and Professor of Higher Education
Emeritus
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