At Butler, Basketball Dream Lives, but Two Sports Die
Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:58 am
By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 23, 2007; Page E08
ST. LOUIS, March 22 -- When Butler takes the court Friday against top-seeded Florida, basketball fans will see the quintessential underdog, a team of undersized jump shooters trying to slay the defending national champion, a real-life version of the movie "Hoosiers" unfolding in a cavernous dome.
They will also see a small school familiar with the challenges of big-time college athletics. The school with old-fashioned aura is not immune to modern-day obstacles.
Two months ago, Butler announced it would drop men's lacrosse and men's swimming for financial reasons. Barry Collier, the school's athletic director, called the decision "incredibly difficult" and said Thursday, "I think about that every day and I don't want to go back there again."
The announcement, which left dozens of athletes scrambling to find new schools, illuminates the differences between revenue and non-revenue sports at the highest levels of college athletics.
LINK:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02323.html