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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1972)
doily (mtogteini gjp I Neinas discusses high costs of recruiting by Gary Seacrest College athletic departments across the country are looking for way to cut down on the high costs of maintaining competitive sports programs. And the Big Eight Conference is no exception, even though the league is considered one of the richest in the nation. One proposal to reduce costs that is gaining wide attention is to grant athletic scholarships solely on the basis of financial need. However, the Big Eight Conference "unanimously onposes the need principle," according to Big Eight Commissioner Chuck Neinas. "On the other hand there is a current thought in the conference to limit scholarships further," said Neinas, who was in Lincoln Friday to address the 1972 Big Eight City Conference. Big Eight schools can now grant 45 football scholarships per year. Big Ten schools, for comparison, can only grant 30 per year. "There is .also a movement afoot to bring reality back to recruiting," Neinas noted. "This will cut costs and make the coaches' jobs easier." Nainas said two recent NCAA reforms that will cut recruiting costs are (1) a prohibition against entertaining a recruit off-campus and (2) a reduction of the number of paid visits to a campus by a prospect (whether the school provides the transportation or it is provided by a representative of its athletic interest) from two to one. Both proposals go into effect in August. The Big Eight Commissioner disagreed with the idea that the recent NCAA decision to permit freshmen to compete in varsity football and basketball would reduce costs and scholarships. He said freshmen eligibility would not be a money-saver in the Big Eight since the league still plans to continue its freshmen programs in both football and basketball. Neinas, who became commissioner last October, said that recruiting competition with other schools forced the Big Eight to adopt the freshmen eligibility rule in football, even though most of the conference coaches opposed it. "The coaches felt that recruiting pressures used bv competing conferences who adopted the rule made it necessary for the Big Eight to also adopt the rule," Neinas said. He said the conference will study the effects of freshmen eligibility in football and basketball after its first year of operation for possible changes. The commisioner is concerned that the new rule might create a morale problem among the freshmen who have to compete against veterans. "It will be difficult to make the freshmen feel they haven't failed," he said. Turning to basketball rule changes, Neinas said "it is safe to assume" the Big Eight basketball coaches will recommend in May to the athletic directors that the league experiment with a time-clock during the 1972 season. Under such a proposal, a team would have to take a shot within a certain time limit once it gained possession of the ball. Neinas said the coaches favor the time clock to prevent "the dead stall game." He noted that the coaches might recommend a 30-second, a 45-second or a minute clock. Chuck Neinas The Big Eight Commissioner also noted possible difficulties in conducting professional basketball games in the new UNL fieldhouse due to a Big Eight policy against professional athletic events being held in collegiate facilities. He said it was a policy, but not a requirement of the conference, to discourage professional football and basketball games from being played in a Big Eight facility. Neinas said the long-standing policy was to avoid making "farm clubs" out of college campuses and to avoid public identity of collegiate athletics with professionalism. He noted his research didn't disclose an example where a college benefited financially from an arrangement with a professional team to use the college facility. The Sept. 23 football game between Army and Nebraska at West Point is scheduled to be televised regional iy by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). ABC and the NCAA announced only six weekend dates of college football with ABC retaining the right to select the remainder of games as late as the Monday before the Saturday telecast. The Nebraska tennis team lost three matches in Colorado over the weekend to drop the team's season record to 6-9. The Air Force Academy defeated the Huskers 9-0 at Colorado Springs Friday. The Huskers ran into more trouble at Boulder Saturday when they lost to Colorado 8-1 and New Mexico 9-0. Kathy Matejka slammed three hits, including a triple, to lead the UNL women's softball team to a 4-3 victory over Kearney in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Kearney. Kearney led all the way in winning the first contest 7-4. The Nebraska golf team finished fifth behind winner Oklahoma State in the Great Plains Invitational golf tournament Thursday and Friday in Wichita, Kan. The Huskers' Rick Schultz had a 146 total (74-72) and finished eighth in individual scoring. Nebraska's two-mile relay team, clocked in 7:27.6. finished third Friday in the Drake Relays at Des Moines. Saturday the Huskers were sixth in the distance medley relay and sixth in the mile relay. THE DAILY NEBRASKAN Student football tickets to go on sale May 8 One of the most sought after items in the state-tickets to Nebraska football games-will go on sale next week to students. Only full-time students now attending UNL will be permitted to purchase student football tickets during the week of May 8-12 at the ticket office in the Coliseum. Students wishing to purchase a single seat must present their ID cards and a payment of $12.50. Each student after making the payment will receive a receipt and will draw a lottery number to determine his or her seat. Starting Aug. 28, each student must then go to the ticket office and will be given his or her ticket upon presentation of a receipt and valid ID card. Requests for block sections will also be accepted May 8-12. A representative of the group will present ID cards and $12.50 for each student in his block. The remaining procedure for block sections will be similar to that of purchasing a single seat. . Any student not participating in the lottery during the special week can purchase his ticket with new students next fall. Jim Pittenger, UNL ticket manager, said student tickets are for personal use only and improperly used tickets may be confiscated. Last season about 87 per cent of the UNL students purchased tickets, the highest percentage in the nation. Rodgers issues statement reaffirming his innocence Nebraska football star Johnny Rodgers, who was not charged with any wrongdoing Thursday in Cass County Court after being arrest recently in a car where marijuana was found, said he was a "victim of circumstances" and hopes "the whole thing can be forgotten." In a prepared statement released Friday, Rodgers said: "The first thing I would like to make clear to the public is that there was never any charges made or filed against me. "I would like to consider this misfortune as just a bad accident. Still accidents sometimes kill people; and this accident did injure me because of the problems that I had brought on myself in the past. I am just thankful that I was able to salvage myself as a person first and a football player." Rodgers, an All-American flanker, said he was making the statement "to try to void some of the bad publicity that I received by just being a victim of circumstances. . . "I hope the whole thing can be forgotten and as far as I'm concerned, this is the last statement I will have on the matter." Harried Huskers share Big 8 cellar MANHATTAN, Kan.-Nebraska's hope for a strong finish in the Big Eight baseball race was drenched last weekend in a series against Kansas Sate. Friday's scheduled doubleheader was rained out, causing postponement of the games until Saturday. But Saturday the Huskers found themselves with two more defeats , and in a tie for last place in the conference with a 5-9 record. The Huskers were plagued with five errors and were helpless against the pitching of Bob Leslie. The Wildcats won the opener 3-1. Leslie struck out 1 1 of the first 18 Husker batters he faced and totaled 13 strikeouts for the game. The Huskers' only run came in the sixth inning when Pete Bethell singled home Gene Stohs. In the second game the Huskers were able to tie the Wildcats 1-1 after the regulation seven innings. But one inning later, Ken Lehrmann slashed a triple for the Wildcats and the game ended when Steve Achelpohl's relay throw went wild sending Lehrmann home with the winning run. Sunday's third game was rained out and will not be re-scheduled. PAGE 16 MONDAY, MAY 1, 1972