A Blast from the Past

This weekend seemed like a "This Is Your Life" show for me.

I spent most of my weekend at the ice rink, as is the norm this time of year. But every game I worked involved a team from Ames-- where I first started working as an official.

I love it when teams from Ames are in town. I know people, they know me, and it's just one big reunion for me. The first person I saw when I got to the rink? Mr. Owen-- the Advisor for Iowa State's Club Hockey Team. He was also the partner I was paired up with for my first hockey games as a referee.

Things like that take me back.

Six years ago, I was at Iowa State, studying Architecture. I was a red-shirt. I got my reps playing for the JV squad. But I also served as the Undergradate Assistant to Coach Murdoch. At the end of the year, I was struggling academically, and unsure about where I stood with the hockey team. I faced a major decision-- would I return to ISU for my sophomore year?

After discussing my situation with Coach Murdoch, we made the decision for me to take some time away from school, and go play junior hockey. Coach Murdoch believed I had the potential to not only be a four-year starter at ISU, but even to play D-1 hockey. His final words to me before I left his office that day: "If we go [D-1] varsity, you'll be the first in line for a scholarship." He fully expected me to return to ISU.

ISU's hockey team still has not reached the D-1 level. There have been recent rumours that they might be headed in the direction. But even if they do, I'm no longer eligible to play for them. Still, I'd like to see Coach Murdoch take the program to the next level.

However, they face a major obsticle. Title IX. When I arrived in Ames, the Cyclones faced the task of becoming compliant with the government mandate that there be the same number of opportunities for women as there are for men. Instead of adding a program or two, the dicision was made to cut baseball and I believe another men's program (and I can't remember which program it was).

Based on that story, my initial response to Title IX was anger. You generally don't think that women participate in sports in the same numbers that men do. You also think that if a woman was good enough to play for a men's team, that the scholarships labled as "Mens" would be available to them. Unfortunately, that implies that coaches are not sexist.

Nonetheless, I was upset that a rule that made no sense to me at the time, screwed me out of a full-ride, or the potential for one. I've moved on. I made it back to college hockey at the D-1 level, and I have no regrets.

Then I realized something. There is another solution. And it's been mentioned in the state of Iowa. Several months ago, a state senator from Ames recommended to the Iowa State Legislature to cut the number of football scholarships from 85 to 70.

I don't know all of the details of the plan, but it's a leap in the right direction.

He just got the number wrong. Don't cut ten scholarships, cut 30 scholarships from football. Why 30? Because that brings the number of scholarships available for college football down to 55.

Do you know how many players are on the active roster of NFL teams?

53.

Why should a college team pay more players than a professional team? This does not prevent teams from rostering a full roster of 110, or whatever that number is anymore. It just brings the number of scholarships down to a reasonable number.

Think about this great quote from Donnatella Moss (Janel Maloney) from "The West Wing": There are 53 players on an NFL team. The University of Colorado has 130, 85 of whom are on full scholarship. I'm all for backups and substitutes but can't the guy who's fourth on the depth chart at right outside linebacker also be the fourth on the depth chart at left outside linebacker? If a college football team cut back to 70 scholarships, they'd still be three deep at every position and have a fourth-string punter and place kicker. 15 scholarships ... that's a wrestling team!

18 scholarships is a hockey team. 9 scholarships is a baseball team. That's 27 scholarships combined. In the case of Iowa State, they could field both programs if they cut football scholarships. Think about it... you're not effecting the amount of revenue the football team draws for the athletic department, you're just not allowing them to waste as much money.

I love the concept of Title IX. Equal Opportunities for everyone. That's right, everyone. Not just football players... EVERYONE.

And if you don't believe Title IX is a great idea... talk to the 20 women on UNO's Soccer Team, who just won a National Championship. They're a Title IX program-- the soccer progam was started when UNO added it's men's hockey program.

Funny how things work out like that.