Claire McCullough wrote:

> I have taught at a university that had no football.  Maybe it's a Southern
> thing, but somehow, the homecoming hockey game left me feeling
> uninspired....


Our money- and game-losing football team is hardly inspirational itself,
IMHO.

Anyway, since we have spent all this money (Lexans?) for a world-class
basketball coach (plus wife, cars, etc.) why don't we have homecoming at
a basketball game.  Surely they will be on their way to the Final Four
every year, so we will likely be on the winning side of the annual
homecoming blowout, rather than the side that the perennially
underachieving football team is likely to be on.

And if we have to have a football game for homecoming, it would probably
be a lot cheaper to hire buses and send all the interested students to
UTK's homecoming game instead.  We probably already have more students
(and alumni) who go to theirs than ours.

If UTK's homecoming is sold out, we can send them to Vanderbilt's ...
I'm sure they have plenty of room in the stands.  Vandy will probably
lose their homecoming, but our students will be used to that.

Of course, we can always try to upgrade UTC's football team by spending
a few more Lexans ... just remember that they won't be provided by THEC
any more.  I hope all the folks who want to keep football will be the
first ones to reach for their checkbooks and send in a Lexan or two.


> I think this all comes down to the larger debate as to whether we want to be
> what I would call a "full service" university, where students have many
> opportunities outside class for fellowship, camaraderie, discussion,
> expansion of worldview...(and yes, I believe football, as well as music,
> theater, student organizations, etc. all have a part in that), or a commuter
> campus where students come only for classes.  If we choose to go the
> commuter route (as many schools do), our students may be very well trained
> in the areas of their courses, but I would not feel that they had gotten the
> true education I believe they deserve.


I think the commuter school status is pretty much the actual existing
state of affairs, whether we like it or not.  Most of the students don't
avail themselves of the music, theater, student organizations, and least
of all the football games, available now.  Why not try something
different (and less expensive) ... we're trying to get them to park at
Engel Stadium anyway, why not give them something to watch on the way to
and from their cars.  If they're not interested in watching baseball as
a spectator sport, they can try dodging foul balls in the parking lot as
a participant sport :)

Joe