University of Virginia Library

Withdrawal From ACC Advised
By Ad Hoc Committee At Duke.

There is a movement afoot at Duke University to buck the
big time.

As reported in the student newspaper, the Duke Chronicle,
last Thursday the ad hoc committee on athletics submitted a
report to the University's Athletic Council with recommendation
that Duke disaffiliate with the Atlantic Coast Conference,
and that the "operation of the athletic program should be
completely integrated in the University."

The Athletic Council is expected to act on the
recommendation in its next meeting December 18. The action
will probably take the form of further study on the question.

A portion of the fifty page study dealt with scholarships.
"At that time we disaffiliate with the Atlantic Coast
Conference demonstrated financial need as well as ability to
meet academic standards and the athletic skill should be the
criteria for the awarding of athletic scholarships.

Barney Jones, the committee's chairman, stressed that the
report should "help the University make up its own mind."
Mr. Jones is a member of the university's department of
religion.

Some of the reasons given for the recommendation were
the difference in Duke's academic standards from the majority
of the other ACC members and Duke's lack of success in the
conference. "These differences circumscribe our ability to
recruit outstanding athletes, which affects our ability to
compete successfully with Conference members."

If this effort fails the committee suggests that "Duke
consider independent status and seek competition with such
schools as Rice, Tulane, Colgate, and Vanderbilt."