COLLEGE ATHLETICS. 



591 



It will be observed that the total amount subscribed is less than half 

 the expenses. Two hundred and ninety dollars of this sum was given 

 by graduates. Deducting this, and considering that, according to the 

 catalogue of 1881-'82, there were, in the undergraduate academical and 

 scientific departments, seven hundred and eighty-six students, the cost 

 (above earnings) of the present system averages only a little over ten 

 dollars per man. As all departments are benefited by the system, the 

 average ought to be taken for the whole university. There being in 

 the university over one thousand men, the average cost per man would 

 be considerably less than ten dollars. It will be said that part of the 

 earnings come from the students, since they are the chief attendants at 

 the game. This is true. Assuming that half the earnings come from 

 the students (an amount probably in excess of the real amount), the 

 average cost per man for the university will not be far from twelve 

 dollars. Fifteen dollars per man would undoubtedly cover the whole 

 cost of athletics throughout the year, counting not only the athletics 

 represented in the table, but all other kinds as well. Certainly this 

 does not seem an extravagant sum to pay for the benefits derived 

 from the system. The writer believes that the expenses can be very 

 much diminished. The tendency to unnecessary increase of expenses 

 can certainly be diminished by measures hereafter noticed. 



By the table, it will be seen that the subscriptions for base-ball 

 and foot-ball were small in amount as compared with their earnings. 

 It is generally believed, among students, that the university organiza- 

 tions of both these sports can be made self-supporting. 



The evils already commented on are general. There are other so- 

 called evils which are special — some peculiar to one kind of athletics, 

 but not belonging to the others. One of these, charged against base- 

 ball, is that the game brings the students into contact with " profes- 

 sionals." Whatever may be the extent of the evil in other colleges, at 

 Yale it has not proved to be so great as to call for Faculty interfer- 

 ence, or even to excite apprehension. All the evils, real or imagi- 

 nary, connected with ball-playing, are reduced to a minimum when 

 the students meet " professionals." They meet them simply for prac- 

 tice. Betting is, as a rule, precluded by the fact that the result is 

 generally a foregone conclusion, and men bet on only doubtful is- 

 sues. Off the field there is no more intercourse between the students 

 and the " professionals " than is necessary to transact the business at- 



