Sports

From College News - Fantasy sport of Harry Potter is heading into year five of its collegiate existence.

You read that title right. Quidditch, the broomstick riding sport of J.K. Rowling’s insanely popular Harry Potter novels is being played at universities around the world, including Princeton, U-Mass-Amherst and Vassar College.

Don’t believe me? Check out the website for the IQA, or Intercollegiate Quidditch Association.

Last year’s season was the fourth in total, and the second consecutive season which featured a World Cup finale. In 2005, Middlebury student Xander Manshel adapted the wizard’s sport into a ground-based game for us Muggles. (Don’t ask--I’ve already gleaned too much of my nerdiness.)

New York’s Middlebury College hosted a Quidditch cup for the first two years that was made up of several teams from the school. In 2007, the game took flight (figuratively) at other colleges in the area. Amherst, Columbia, Princeton, and Dartmouth were stops for Middlebury’s squad, with coverage by local television outlets as well as ESPN.

Thanks to the recently released sixth installment of the movie franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sport is getting more well-deserved attention. A new article for the New York Daily News describes the sport’s gaining popularity, with over 200 colleges expressing their interest in the sport to the IQA.

In Quidditch, teams score points by throwing the Quaffle (ball) in one of the opponents’ three goals. Players can hold one of four positions in Quidditch. A keeper is essentially a goalie, guarding his goals from incoming opponents.

A team’s three Chasers handle the Quaffle and are responsible for scoring goals. Beaters, of which there are two, roam the field protecting their teammates from Bludgers, two spheres that traverse the area without prejudice, attempting to knock players off their brooms.

Bludgers are equipped with wooden clubs to redirect Bludgers away from their players and / or towards their opponents.

Finally, each team has one seeker. Seekers are nimble and quick with only one goal in mind: catch the Golden Snitch. The snitch is a tiny enchanted gold ball that zips three-dimensionally around the pitch, or playing field.

Catching a snitch nets that seeker’s team 150 points and is the only way to end a game. (Some Quidditch games in the books were told to have spanned months.)

Now, obviously all this magic has no place in the real world, but that doesn’t stop college Quidditch players from substitutions. Snitches are attached to the backs of runners in golden attire that race around the field.

Beaters now carry red dodge balls that represent the Bludgers, hurling them at opposing players. And of course, each player must perform all of these feats while holding a broom between his or her legs.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out now in theaters across the nation.

By Joe Anello

Soccer is good exercise, good for developing coordination and just good fun, but if David Haase wants his sixth-grader to play it at school, he'll have to come up with $135 to make it happen.

What will he get for his money? The use of a uniform for 11-year-old Morgan, and the privilege for her to attend practice. He must also supply a ball, cleats and shin guards if she wants to join the team at Karns Middle School in Knoxville, Tenn.

"It may get expensive, but I would rather give up something myself than I would give up something for our child," he said. "Those school activities are so important to a child's growth."

While parents have always had to pay for private piano lessons and cough up Little League fees, such pay-to-participate and pay-to-play charges imposed by public schools around the country are on the rise, often as a worst-case alternative to canceling activities altogether in the bad economy.

The practice has gone up and down since the recession-tainted 1970s. A 2004 USA Today survey found 34 state high school associations required participation fees. Now, dozens of cash-strapped school districts are relying on them to supplement squeezed budgets and fatigued PTAs.

In May, the board of education in Hartford, Conn., approved a budget that relies on parents paying $100 in participation fees, with a $200 yearly cap and a family cap of $400. In Manchester, N.H., schools are considering charging parents $50 to $100 for extracurricular activities per child.

Parents in Richmond Heights, Ohio, may have to pay up to $1,000 in fees next school year. It will cost $350 for a student to participate in a sport, band, choir or cheerleading. The charge for other activities, including the National Honor Society, will be $100.

Robert Kanaby, director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which counts more than 7.3 million participants in school sports around the country, said the trend is disturbing but still better than the alternative — dumping athletics and other activities for lack of money.

"The educational value in school sports in incredible," he said. "We believe it's an important part of growing and maturing."

Others in school athletics agree, but they said fees in schools not only sting parents. They put coaches and kids in tough spots, too.

Jerry Snodgrass, an assistant commissioner for the Ohio High School Athletic Association and the former athletic director at Findlay High School, where Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played, posed this predicament: If a benched student pays to be on the team, should he or she be guaranteed significant game time over starters?

"Your mindset may become, I'm an eighth man on a team, I'm not going to play that much so what's the point?" Snodgrass said. "Schools can really struggle with their numbers."

Some parents have banded together for a slightly different approach to paying fees per child or per family.

Last year, parents in the Wantagh school district on New York's Long Island mobilized under a threat to cut extracurricular activities. A dad, Don Desroches, led the charge, raising more than $650,000 for sports, music and drama. The fundraising took a few months and included endless bake sales, walkathons and jewelry sales. As a result, the activities stayed.

"You name it, we did it," Desroches said. "We really had no other choice."

When the budget passed this year, there was no threat of cancellation, Desroches said.

Relying on parents in bad economic times sometimes becomes the norm in a school as families resign themselves to paying extra year after year, Kanaby said.

"In some situations schools are charging students to participate regardless, a practice that's accepted ... from class to class and generation to generation," he said.

That's what happened at Karns Middle School, said Haase, who mentors student athletes at the University of Tennessee. The soccer fee was in place at Morgan's school when he moved to the area years ago from New York, and parents have accepted it as part of life, he said.

"I think a lot of parents have just gotten so accustomed to it," Haase said. "You're going to pay for it and you'll make the sacrifices of other things, in some other area."

For Morgan, it means the chance to play sixth grade soccer and hone her midfielding skills.

"She really loves to play," Haase said. "And that's important."

By COLLEEN LONG,Associated Press Writer
 

From College News - Senate Judiciary Committee will decide this week if Bowl Championship Series violates antitrust laws

News flash college sports fans: the Bowl Championship Series is a criminal conspiracy! Who will step forward against this dastardly plot? Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Congress?

A Senate Judiciary Committee will convene this week to discuss if the BCS violates antitrust laws, and if it should be restructured to follow a typical playoff format. The issue was raised by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, a known college football enthusiast.

Hatch wrote an essay for the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, claiming that the BCS “intentionally and explicitly favors certain participants.”

With the existing arrangement, almost half of the teams in college football receive only a fraction of the television and sponsorship revenue. A significantly heftier portion is divvied out to teams in the six BCS conferences: the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, and SEC.

Hatch rallied against the deal, noting that “this money goes to benefit some schools and create disadvantages for others.”

Automatic bids are granted for the top teams in each of the six conferences, as well as the University of Notre Dame, to enter into the BCS.

Other universities can participate in the BCS, but none are granted bids for their top team. Polls and a computer ranking system determine the remaining BCS ranking slots and decide which two teams battle for the national title.

Fans have argued since the BCS’ inception that the system is flawed and often fails to put the best two teams in the national title game. It has come under fire more recently from President Obama, who is an outspoken critic of the system.

Most BCS detractors favor an 8-team playoff, which would be settled over the course of seven games. A few of the more notable Bowl Games would serve as the precursors to the championship match-up.

A benefit of the new system--besides fans not hating it--would be increased ratings and drama for what is arguably the worst post-season in all of sports.

Such a change is liable to drive up the cost of the $495 million dollar contract the BCS has with ESPN, attorney Alan Fishel, who represents the Mountain West Conference, argued.

Most pundits agree that a college football playoff would also considerably increase their ratings, adding to the sizable deals inked with corporate sponsors.

Congress has also stepped in to marshal other sports in the past. They held a hearing on steroids for Major League Baseball in 2005 and later for the Mitchell Report. Another Senator, Arlen Specter, held investigations on why NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell destroyed the video tapes from the infamous “SpyGate” incident involving the New England Patriots in 2007.

By Joe Anello

From College News - Cutting $1 million out of athletics budget results in Florida International University cheerleading team being benched

This week, Florida International University (FIU), a public research university in Miami, Florida, eliminated its cheerleading team as part of an effort to cut $1 million from its athletic budget for the coming school year.

The school is facing a $35 million budget gap. FIU is increasing tuition by 15%, laying off staff, and eliminating some degree programs. The athletics program, with an overall budget of $15 million, is facing reductions across the board. State funding for the school has dropped significantly for the third consecutive year.

The marching band will also be dropped; however, band members have been collecting money in an effort to sponsor themselves in the fall.

Pete Garcia, the director of FIU’s athletics department, said in a press release that “the economy has forced us to make some very tough choices. Unfortunately, FIU athletics is neither immune to the current economic conditions nor to the fact that the university, in general, has had to cut prominent programs across the board.”

The cheerleading team, currently ranked the fourth best in the country, costs approximately $45,000 annually.

The coach of the cheerleaders, Maria George, former Miami Dolphins cheerleader, was incensed that the administration didn’t announce the plan until after the team finished recruiting for the coming year, a process that requires extensive tryouts and interviews.

“All FIU now has is a mascot and a dance team,” George told the Miami Herald. “They’re cutting the college pageantry out of college sports.”

George reportedly offered to work for free and finance the team through private sponsorships and donations. She believes $25,000 would be enough to keep the cheerleading program going through the 2010 academic year.

Last year, the school opened a new $50 million on-campus football stadium. Earlier this year, FIU hired Hall of Fame basketball player Isiah Thomas to coach the men’s basketball team.

The athletics website makes no mention of the plan to cut the cheerleading team. It still contains an announcement hyping the cheerleading team’s high national ranking: “[They] are exceptional student-athletes who exemplify school spirit while serving as ambassadors of Florida International University.”

The Herald quotes George as calling the school’s budget cuts ‘ridiculous.’

“These kids are athletes. They need to be supported by their school,” George said.

George has been the cheerleading coach for eight years, during which time the team has become respected across the country. This year, the team was slated to double to 46 students.

By Ryan Simmons

From College News - College News attempts to predict the NCAA Division One baseball tournament




I love filling out brackets and, though the College Baseball tournament isn’t on par with March Madness, it does bring out the prognosticator in me. After causally following the season, comparing records and schedules, and attempting to channel my inner (baseball) bracketologist, here are my not-so-expert picks for the Road to the College World Series. The games actual games start Friday, May 29.

Austin Regional
Top seeded Texas opens with #4 seed Army as #3 seed Texas State and #4 seed Boston College round out the regional. Army, Texas State and Boston College all had great seasons, but Texas is powerhouse and, though upsets do happen, I don’t see the Big 12 champs having trouble advancing.

Advancing: Texas State

Fort Worth Regional
Texas Christian hosts #4 seed Wright State as well as #2 seed Texas A&M and #3 seed Oregon State. The host will have a tough time getting out of this regional. A&M is a talented team who beat them earlier in the season. Based the competition A&M has faced this year, I think they can make it to the Super Regional.

Advancing: Texas A&M

Atlanta Regional
Host Georgia Tech faces fellow Atlanta college #4 Georgia State as #2 Elon and #3 seed Southern Mississippi also travel to the 404. Look for Georgia Tech, the ACC champions, to have no problem making out of this regional going to the super regional.

Advancing: Georgia Tech

Gainesville Regional
8th national seed Florida hosts # 4 Bethune Cookman , #2 Miami and #3 Jacksonville.  This should come down to Florida or Miami. Earlier in the year, Miami came to Gainesville and swept the Gators, beating them 16-2 in the third game. Though revenge could play a factor, I think ‘Canes have what it takes to pull the upset.

Advancing: Miami

Tempe Regional
Pac 10 champion and 5th overall seed Arizona State hosts #4 Kent State , #2 Oral Roberts and #3 Cal Poly out in the Arizona desert. The Sun Devils are a powerhouse, but Cal Poly has a great team. While it should come down to these two teams, I think ASU will pull it out.

Advancing: ASU

Clemson Regional
Host Clemson welcomes TN Tech #4, Alabama #2 and Oklahoma State #3 to South Carolina. Alabama, OSU or Clemson could win this region. I’ll pick Clemson, but expect this to be a competitive regional.

Advancing: Clemson

Greenville Regional
East Carolina welcomes Binghamton #4, South Carolina #2 and George Mason #3. With two, 42 game winning teams (ECU and GMU) and SEC squad Greenville, it looks to be quite competitive. Look for the winner of the South Carolina-- George Mason--to shock the Pirates here.

Advancing: South Carolina

Chapel Hill Regional
UNC baseball, the 4th rated national seed, hopes to have the same luck as their basketball brethren as they welcome Dartmouth #4, Coastal Carolina #2 and Kansas #3. Don’t overlook the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, winners of a whooping 46 games this spring, including one over the host Tar Heels. A National Seeding doesn’t guarantee an easy road to the Super Regional, and I’m going to pick Coastal Carolina (with an amazing record to match their awesome nickname) to overcome UNC here.

Advancing: Coastal Carolina

Fullerton Regional
Cal State Fullerton the 2nd overall national seed invites Utah #4, Georgia Southern #2 and Gonzaga #3. One of the best teams in the nation all year, the Titans should have no problem getting out of this relatively easy bracket and into the next round.

Advancing: CS Fullerton

Louisville Regional
The Cardinals host Indiana #4, Middle Tennessee State #2 and Vanderbilt #3. Vanderbilt is playing its best baseball right now after a slow start to the season. Having beaten UL and split the season series with MTSU, the ‘ Dores are familiar with their opponents. If they play like they did in last week’s SEC tournament they should win this bracket. (side note: being a Vandy student, I may be a little biased)

Advancing: Vanderbilt

Tallahassee Regional
Florida State ‘ welcome Marist #4, Georgia #2 and Ohio State #3 to their capital. Look for Georgia to make it out of this regional though the hosts, or even the Buckeyes, could make it interesting.

Advancing: Georgia

Norman Regional
The 7th national seed, the Sooners, host Witcitha State #4, Arkansas #2 and Washington State #3. I would like the hosts to win though the Razorbacks may give them a scare.

Advancing: Oklahoma

Irvine Regional
If you’re near Irvine, California and love baseball, you should really try and make it out to this regional. Host UC Irvine, the 6th overall national seed, opens with reigning National Champion Fresno State (#4, but don’t let that fool you. They won the tournament last year as a #4 seed) Virginia #2 and Tony Gywnn coached San Diego State #3 rounds out the bracket. With three, 40 game winners (UC-Irvine, UVA and SD State) and the reigning national champs, anything could happen in this bracket. Many believe UC Irvine is the best team in the nation, and, while they should survive, it will definitely not be easy.

Advancing: UC Irvine

Oxford Regional
Mississippi State hosts Monmouth #4, Missouri #2 and Western Kentucky #3. I would like the Rebels to win at home in this regional though Missouri, having played a tough Big 12 schedule and coming off a nice run in their conference tournament, won’t get eliminated easily.

Advancing: Mississippi State

Houston Regional
Rice hosts Sam Houston State #4, Xavier #2 and Kansas State #3. The Owls should win this bracket fairly easily.

Advancing: Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge Regional>
SEC champion and 3rd overall seed LSU faces fellow Baton Rouge resident Southern University #4 as Baylor #2 and Minnesota #4 round out the bracket. LSU is quite the team and should have no problem dominating the opening round at home.

Super Regional
Texas vs. Texas A&M
Georgia Tech vs. Miami
Arizona State vs. Clemson
South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina
CS- Fullerton vs. Vanderbilt
Georgia vs. Oklahoma
UC Irvine vs. Ole Miss
Rice vs. LSU

College World Series Participants
Texas
Georgia Tech
Arizona State
Coastal Carolina
Cal State Fullerton
UC Irvine
LSU

Winner
UC Irvine
 

By: Daniel Howell

For Matthew Ludwig and Justin Dwyer, their future in the auto industry is a bright one, unmarred by a slumping auto sales market and Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings.

The high school juniors from Faribault, Minn., won the annual Ford/AAA student auto skills competition Tuesday, by repairing a series of mechanical problems in a Ford Escape in just 42 minutes.

The competition brings 50, two-person teams of student automotive technicians to the Detroit suburb to race against the clock and their skills for scholarship money and an opportunity to participate in a pit crew during a NASCAR race.

But for sponsors Ford Motor Co. and AAA, the event is an investment in future employees, whether the students end up repairing vehicles at a dealership, or seek careers elsewhere in the auto industry.

"People are looking at an average age of nine years for their cars. That's going to provide work," said Steve DeAngelis, technical support operations manager for Ford. "And I told them that these technical skills can lead them to other careers."

DeAngelis and several of the instructors said the current generation of tech-savvy teenagers and young adults are well-matched to work on vehicles which are loaded with mini computers.

"There's a shortage of qualified technicians," said John Nielsen, director of AAA's approved auto repair network. "As technology continues to grow, this competition highlights those skills."

About 950 high schools across the U.S. offer an automotive technology program, where students get hands-on instruction on vehicle maintenance and repair, according to DeAngelis. Some students at the competition already have part-time jobs at repair shops. Ford has been sponsor for 15 years, placing many of the top students in jobs at Ford, Lincoln, Mercury dealerships.

Eric Reed, half of the California team — which finished in fifth place — said he planned on becoming an architect before taking an auto shop class at his San Luis Obispo, Calif high school. Now the recent graduate plans to attend Northern Arizona University to study mechanical engineering.

"I don't see myself working in a shop," said Reed, 18, adding that he wants to contribute to designing and building the next generation of hybrid or electric cars.

To get to the national competition, held at AAA's regional headquarters — across the street from Ford's headquarters — 9,750 students take a test to first qualify to compete at the state level. Winners come to Michigan to vie for the national title.

With the title comes exposure for the high school's auto program, say instructors who spent dozens of extra hours working to prepare the students. While many said that their principals have been supportive in terms of funding, others said that budget cuts have put a strain on vocational opportunities.

"It's been a challenge. They're not all that supportive of career and technical education," said Daniel Pontes, the auto instructor at Newport Area Career & Technical Center, a Newport, R.I. school in which students from surrounding high schools can take electives.

"It's due to a lack of money," he said.

Yet the number of people going into technical fields is growing along with the demand for such jobs, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. One-third of the fastest-growing jobs over the next 10 years will require some form of technical education, said ACTE spokeswoman Sabrina Kidwai. She said such courses are being designed by two-year colleges and trade school to meet the needs of a changing regional work force.

"Around the country education budgets are being cut," Kadwai said. "But we're trying to encourage that career and technical education shouldn't be cut because of its impact on the economy."

The group is even trying to move the nation away from the word "vocational" because of its negative connotation, using "career and technical education" instead.

"A lot of people think of vocational students as those not going to college, and not for the smart kid," she said. "But we have very intelligent students going through these program, they have the skills employers are looking for."

Brad Wheaton, the auto instructor at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. said that many people underestimate what it takes to repair a vehicle. His team came in second.

"A lot of people think the not so smart kids go to shop, work on cars, or go into an apprentice program," he said. "It's the complete opposite. We need the smart kids and the thinkers."

By KIMBERLY S. JOHNSON
AP Auto Writer

From College News - For students, tournament step towards professional fishing

This Friday, Lewsville Lake, a reservoir in North Texas popular for recreational fishing and watersports, will be host to the fourth BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship.

286 students, in 143 two-angler teams, representing 73 schools and 26 states will compete.

Each team that participates will be given $100 to shop at Cabela’s retail store in nearby Fort Worth, and fishing products worth about $1,000.

According to a press release, there will also be seminars provided by national fishing professionals, such as Clark Wendlandt and Kelly Jordon.

The tournament’s popularity has grown rapidly. Last year, 194 students participated. Wade Middleton, the director of the tournament, told the Dallas Morning News that they “had 40 teams in 2006 ... more than 200 schools have a bass fishing team now, and we get inquiries on a weekly basis from both students and schools.”

Middleton also told the Morning News that he receives both emails and phone calls “from high school kids ... asking where they should go to college if they are interested in pursuing bass fishing.”

And the serious interest in bass fishing amongst college students is not to be underestimated. When Oklahoma State finished second in the 2006 tournament, 40 new members joined the school’s bass fishing club.

Justin Rackley and Trevor Knight won the 2007 championship for Texas A&M University. Both have since graduated and now compete in pro-level fishing tournaments.

Rackley told the Morning News that since participating he “made a lot [of] fishing industry contacts through the tournaments.”

The American Sportfishing Association claims that there are almost 60 million anglers in the United States. They claim the industry generates more than $125 billion in economic output, and creates more than one million jobs.

But in spite of such news, the popularity of sportsfishing has been on the decline in recent years. In 2005, about 28 million fishing licenses were sold, compared with 29.5 million in 2001.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Middleton said that there are “student anglers who used the collegiate tournaments to become bass pros” while there are now “others...involved in other aspects of the fishing and outdoors industries. Who knows what it will men 10 years from now?”

By Ryan Simmons

High school athletes in Florida will play fewer games for the next two years under a new rule approved by the Florida High School Athletic Association that is designed to save money during tough economic times.

The group's board of directors voted 9-6 Monday to cut the number of varsity games by 20 percent and all other play by 40 percent through the 2010-11 school year. The policy applies to all sports except for football.

"It's written in the proposal to have a sunset after two years. That's it. We really mean two years," board president Greg Zornes said in a statement. "We fully intend to restore what we had until today at the end of the two-year period."

The rule change was designed to cut costs for Florida high school athletic departments, which are facing tough budget constraints.

"These are unprecedented times," Zornes said. "People are losing their jobs as schools are cutting millions and millions of dollars from their budgets. Our job is to look out for all the schools."

Critics say the rules change will reduce opportunities for students and cost some schools money they gain by hosting games.

The board on Monday denied three amendments to the proposal, and in June will consider a recommendation regarding schools without football.

"We tried to bring in a uniform and systematic approach to a problem," executive director Dr. Roger Dearing said in a statement. "We are hopeful this will ensure the future of all sports at all levels of competition. It will not affect all schools in all ways, but it will help a vast majority of those schools facing the elimination of certain sports."

Associated Press

Name the college that sponsored 41 varsity sports this year, tying with Harvard for most in the country.

The answer is about the last school you'd think of: math and science powerhouse MIT, the university with perhaps the brainiest — and nerdiest — reputation in America.

The Engineers — yes, that's their nickname — shared the honor with their bigger, wealthier neighbor in Cambridge, Mass., and have long competed in everything from football to fencing, softball to squash.

That's going to change, though.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced Thursday it is eliminating eight teams because of the sputtering economy. Gone are men's and women's hockey, men's and women's gymnastics, skiing, golf, pistol shooting and wrestling.

MIT joins the list of colleges dropping sports to counteract budget deficits. Northern Iowa is nixing baseball. So is Vermont, which is also canceling softball. Women's volleyball and men's soccer are done at Maine; men's track and women's swimming will be out at Pepperdine.

The cuts leave stunned athletes scrambling to figure out what to do with the years they expected to be filled with practices and games.

MIT students say the same intensity that drives them to embrace the school's brutal academics makes them want to compete in sports at the highest level they can.

"It's just tough to watch, to witness the 180-degree turn on something I viewed and I know a lot of other people do as part of the MIT culture," sophomore gymnast Jake Shapiro said.

The school's athletic program is Division III, which means no scholarships and a philosophy based on participation, not profit. MIT has won conference titles in four of the 12 sports contested so far this year. Its pistol team won national championships in 2005 and 2007.

About 20 percent of MIT's more than 4,100 undergraduates — or about 800 — compete on varsity teams, a fairly high level of participation.

"I think it's one of the things that makes MIT unique, because there's a stereotype that everyone at MIT is just a nerd sitting in their room doing work all day and playing with computers," said David Somach, a sophomore from Cleveland who is majoring in electrical engineering and computer science and had never been a competitive skier until he joined MIT's team. He said stories like his are the beauty of the college's athletic program.

"When people hear we have varsity pistol or varsity squash or varsity skiing, they think it's pretty neat at a school that has a stereotype of being a school that's focused on studying," he said. "They think it's neat that students live a balanced life."

Neil Judell, a former gymnast who graduated in 1976, said: "There's no way in hell I would've made it through that school without that kind of stress relief."

MIT's endowment, valued at close to $10 billion at the end of June, had lost up to 25 percent by the end of the year. The school is trying to cut as much as 15 percent of its spending over the next few years. The athletics and phys ed department needs to trim its budget by close to $500,000 annually, director Julie Soriero said.

In announcing which teams would be cut, MIT noted that it will continue to boast the most varsity sports in Division III.

The NCAA does not maintain a list of which schools sponsor the most programs; Harvard and MIT established the claim through their own research. According to the Ivy League, Princeton has 38 sports, Brown 37 and Cornell 36. Ohio State also has 36, and Stanford 35. MIT will drop to 33. Harvard is not dropping any sports.

MIT said it evaluated teams on such factors as costs, student interest, coaching turnover, availability of competition and the quality of practice facilities.

Not counting incoming freshmen, graduating seniors and dual-sport athletes, 63 students will be affected by the cuts, according to MIT. The school said it will help students look into starting a club team in their sport if one doesn't already exist.

Grant Kadokura, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Cupertino, Calif., was on the wrestling team. Last week was MIT's campus preview weekend, when newly admitted students visit. Kadokura found himself struggling over what to tell high school wrestlers about a team he knew might not exist next year.

"I don't know how I'd function without it," he said.

By RACHEL COHEN

Associated Press

Nick Mordowanec
 

Did anybody really think the Connecticut Huskies would not seal the deal?

Geno Auriemma’s team defeated Louisville 76-54 in Tuesday night’s championship game, capping another undefeated season (39-0) while being at the helm of the Huskies.

“I’m so overwhelmed how I feel about the way it ended,” Auriemma said after the final buzzer sounded. “This is the first time since the brackets came out I didn’t feel like I’m going to get sick, physically sick, thinking about everything that was ahead of us.”

Although Auriemma has led past teams to undefeated seasons (in 1995 and 2002), this year is a little bit different. This UConn team won all of its 39 games by double digits, a dominating season which will go down into college lore as one of the best ever.

Connecticut breezed through the regular season, and was the unanimous favorite to cut down the nets in St. Louis. They became even more favored when teams like Tennessee and Oklahoma got bounced out of the tournament.

Let’s face it: women’s college basketball is like the Kentucky Derby, but only three or four horses are the preliminary favorites. You have your powerhouses in UConn and Tennessee, then the rest of the field. A souring thought for Tennessee and the rest of the teams in the country is that this UConn team will bring back a large part of its team to compete for another title next year.

You know Auriemma wants to surpass the accomplishments fulfilled by Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, especially considering their competitive “feud” over the years.

Whether this is good for women’s basketball is what we must ponder. A few teams have dominated the landscape over the last decade or so, with the occasional underdog coming out of nowhere and making a run at the trophy.

But it always seems as if UConn or Tennessee ends up coming out on top, which one could consider a testament to great coaching or just weak competition.

Fans love parity and rooting for the underdog, an aspect of the game which seems to be lacking in the women’s circuit. We can not fault great programs for being great. However, sometimes fans and basketball enthusiasts alike would love to see Cinderella crash the party.

Source: College News