Staff Editorial: Just let them play

The eighth ranked football team in Division I-AA this year will not be playing in December.

If this sounds odd to you, you're not alone. It has become more and more difficult to fathom why the Penn Quakers, who went undefeated this year after finishing 9-1 last season, are banned by the Ivy League from competing in the NCAA playoffs.

The Quakers' complete and total dominance has become almost ridiculous. It is clear that the players and coaches need a new challenge, the kind that would be easily afforded by simply letting them compete in the playoffs. Without that, it is worth wondering what the point of even ranking Penn is.

Penn President Judith Rodin claims that the reason for this ban is the detrimental effects that would arise from student-athletes competing during finals. However, Ivy League Executive Director Jeff Orleans said finals weren't the issue. This discrepancy is unsettling.

If academics are the concern, then why do all of Penn's other sports have the opportunity to compete in the playoffs? Whatever the actual reason for the ban is, this holier-than-thou attitude towards the playoffs is to the detriment of the players, coaches and fans.

There would be many upsides to letting Penn compete in the playoffs. First of all, it would allow the Ivy League champions to cut their teeth against the Division's best and give them more satisfying competition than simply trying to outscore Cornell by more points than last year.

Second, it would increase awareness of Penn across the nation and could easily become an asset for recruiting students. Third, there is a good chance that it would generate revenue, something that could serve the greater good of the University.

Penn's students should be allowed to strive for excellence in all fields. This clearly includes athletics, especially since it has yet to be made clear why this ban exists in the first place.

It is unfortunate that when the Council of Ivy Group Presidents meets, it fails to address this pressing issue. We urge the group to reconsider its position.

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