.X
Ibe 2)ail IFlebraefean
Vol. VIII. No. 48.
"l
:Al Neforas&a's Position in the Missouri Valley j
v Conference W
The Missouri Valley conference has
now been In existence for a sufficient
length of time to demonstrate thn
fact that It was founded upon a real
demand for cleaner and more uniform
regulations. While its original and
primary object waB higher athletic
standards in the Missouri Valley, It
has nliiudy served a number of other
useful purposes. It Tias brought the
f-even large Institutions of this re
gion into close and friendly athletic
lelattons and this alone Is of suffi
cient importance to jirstlfy its ex
istence. It has greatly stimulated the
Interest in traek U.hletics, baseball,
and basketball, and has made possible
championship series In all branches
of college athletics.
Owing to the successful opposition
of a few Influential members of the
athletic board, Nebraska did not join
1:1 the movement looking toward, the
formation of a Missouri Valley Intercollegiate-
conference, and -only when
forced, a year later, to show their
bands by a formal Invitation from tlu
already organized conference, did they
unwillingly vote to accept the Invita
tion In order to avoid athletic ostra
cism. Whether or not this reluctance
on- the part of those in control of
athletics at that time was prompte.l
by a desire for lower athletic stand
aids or not, It was, not interpreted by
our colleagues in the Missouri Valley
and Chicago conferences, and hns
greatly handicapped the University of
Nebraska in assuming her proper po
sition in the athletic affairs of the
Missouri Valley. Suspicion is very
easily aroused In athletic circles and
is correspondingly hard to overcome,
but the unwarranted suspicion in re
gard to our attitude on athletic
standards, Is bound to gradually dis
appear under the present control.
Like Western Conference.
There is every reason to believe
that the Missouri Valley conference
will exeit just as strong an influence
upon athletics in this section as th
Chicago conference dees in its
rphore, and she will have one -great
advantage over her older sister,
namely, the advantage of being able
to profit by the older one's mistakes.
Just how important a position Ne
braska will be able to assume and
hold in the Missouri Valley is now
"problematical. The real control of
athletic leagues in any section of the
country depends largely upon ath
letic supremacy. Anong the big
eastern colleges Yale, Harvard, and
Princeton are practically supreme;
Darmouth is the strongest facto in
the New England league, and Chicago
p T T T T 1 T f T T T T- 'O
CORNHUSKER SQUAD.
The men who compose the
first Cornhusker squad, with
their weights, are as follows:
Cooke, 139'2 ; Bentley, 142;
Minor, 150; S. Collins, 178;
Chaloupka, 187'; Frum, 189;
Sturteznegger, 155; Beltzer,
163; Ewlng, 184; Harvey, 184;
Bowers, 178'2; Slaughter,
136'4? Elliott, 180'a; Blrkner,
170; Kroger, 170; Harte,
182; Temple, 175"2; C. Col
lins, 160; F. Johnosn, 165'2.
The average weight of these
men is 161 pounds.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, LINCOLN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1908.
and Wisconsin now dominate the Chi
cago conference, which honor wb
divided with Michigan as long as
she saw fit to remain In the organ
ization. Nebraska by reason of her
numbers and past athletic success,
may be expected to make a strong
bid for this-position In tho Missouri
Valley.
In numbers, Missouri Is Nebraska's
nearest rival, but the lack of co-operation
between the students hn.I the
athletic management has handicapped
Missouri in putting out successful
teams In the past; nevertheless this
situation seems to have Improved
greatly during the past year, and
much may be expected of our south
ern rival In the near future if this
Improvement continues.
In the paBt decade Nebraska has,
unquestionably, developed strongor
and moro consistent football teams
than any of her rivals in the Missouri
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1 SCHOOLS WHICH COMPOSE THE I
Nebraska
Missouri
By R. G. CJLAPP
Valley, and basod upon this standard
Nebraska Is athlptlcally tho boBt
recognized Institution of tho Missouri
Valley, but, unfortunately, It has
been truly said that wo hovo de
veloped football alone and it must
be admitted at the present timo that
no other sport receives the real sup
port of the student body and, it
times, wo are Bkeptlcal about tho
general student Interest even in foot
ball. But the Btudent body Is not pri
marily responsible for this situation.
It can be traced directly to a lack
of a sultablo athletic field.
Nebraska Stands Alone.
So far as the writer Is aware
and ho Is familiar with tho situation
in the large majority of tho more
Important universities and colleges of
tho country there Ib not another Im
Tlfoe Coril&&sfceps' T&naraE&sgiviinig
BIG SEVEN
Ames
on
portant educational Institution, east
or west, without a fairly good and
well equipped athletic field. With
the abominable apology for a field,
(the old Nebraska field), for many
ears, and tho total lack of ono nl
tho present time. It Is no wonder that
Intorest in tho national game Is dead,
and track athletics receive support
only from tho small .per cent of Btu
dontH eBpeclnlly interested through
participation themselves or through
their friends' participation. That the
regents have a real interest In the
physical welfare of tho student body
and Intend to do their part toward
procuring a suitable athletic Held, Is
shown- Ih tho most convincing way
poBBible, nnnioly, by tho fact that
they have invested all tho funds,
which are available for tho purpose),
In lotB north of tho old Nebraska
Hold, with tho ultimate objocfofo
curing proper facilities for' of stu
a
hi(t-nj&
Iowa Kansas
Drake
Price J5;Ccnt
-mmm
dents' playground. Whether this ob
ject can bo carried out In tho noar
future apparently depends upon tho
liberality of tho prcBont Legislature
To thoso familiar with tho situation
It Is evldont that Nebraska will bo
weak In Uiobo Hports for which a
largo amount of money 8 not avail
able In fitting up grounds, otc, until
a proper field Is secured. Tho ma
jority of tho othor Institutions of tho
Missouri Valloy havo first-class ath
letic fields and should and doubtloss
will, In gonorul, outclass us as long
us tho present situation contlntfos. "
Another hnndlcap, and ono which
will probably bo permanent, 1b tho
lack of developed athlotlc mhtorinl
owing to tho vory small number of
largo high schools to which wo look
for our studonta Evory othor lnsti
tutlon In tho Missouri Valloy lH far
more fortunate In this respect than
Nebraska, and the niattor narrows
down to a contest between numbers
and experience and with thofosout
lack of facilities for developing ma
terial tho advantage Is altogether with
the institution drawing experienced
material. N
An Excellent Plan.
Tho excellent plan adopted by tho
uthlotlc board last yoar In regard to
student tickets to all university ath
letic contosts Bhould, by tho lncroased
attendance which Is bound to result,
bring about a general Interest in all
athletics throughout tho student body.
At present It Is evident to tho un
biased observer that AmoB and Kan
sas surpass us In general college,
spirit; Iowa seems to be In our class,
ond Drako, Missouri, and Washington
Bomawhat Inforiqr In this respect.
Assuming that Nebraska desorvos
a place among tho loaders of tho Mis
souri Valloy, It is clear that only ono
factor namely, numbers 1b settled
In her favor and that a number of
qthecs need our careful attention if
wo are to compete favorably with
our rivals in this organization. The
more Important factors may be
Hummed up as follows: First, we
must havo better facilities, particu
larly a suitable athletic field. Sec
ond, athletlCB, othor than football,
must bo encouraged to a much greater
extent than they have been in tho
past. Third, we must have more as
sistance in developing the. large
amount of green material in all sports.
Fourth, greater studopt Interest and
a better and a more general college
spirit Is necessary in nil branches of
nthlotlcs.
1 J fo J U U VU U k , U te
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BIG SEVEN STANDING.
, . Won Lost Pet. . tf
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Kansas .' 2 0 1000
Nebraska 2 1 666
Missouri ..,.:, 2 ,1 66
Ames ,1 . 1 500"
Drake ......... 1 t 500
,' Iowa '. .0- , 3 000
Washington .,..0:2 : 000
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, -,. . Games Today.
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Kansas vs, Missouri. $
J AnVes vs. Drake. . .
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