Follow-up to today's column

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I just briefly wanted to add some thoughts to my column today. I appreciate all of the comments and emails I have received -- it's good to see that the subject matter hit home for so many people.

A few of you have mentioned that the high cost of renting out the Palestra for a home game deters a school like Villanova from continuing to play its Big 5 home games there. This point is very valid, and one that all of the Big 5 schools should examine. If Penn is unwilling to waive the rent or more heavily subsidize Big 5 games in the Palestra, perhaps the Big 5 as a whole could embark on a fundraising effort (when the economy isn't in such bad shape) to alleviate the financial strain on indvidiual schools.

Others have brought up the obvious fact that the quality of Penn basketball has deteriorated to the point that the Quakers will never be able to regain a consistent Big 5 presence, and fans will continue to lose interest. As long as Penn doesn't give out athletic scholarships, the talent disparity between a Penn and a Villanova will remain in place. Still, I think that if the Big 5 could be built back up a little bit, Penn would have a more powerful recruiting hook, especially if it was willing to give two or three basketball recruits per year a little more leeway with admission requirements. Financial aid could take care of the lack of scholarships.

The Big 5 coaches and athletic directors need to sit down at the end of this season, if not before then, and brainstorm some ideas about what they all can do to improve the current situation. One issue for Penn is that of all of the Big 5 coaches, Glen Miller is kind of the odd man out. Jay Wright, Phil Martelli, and Fran Dunphy are all iconic figures in the Philadelphia area, and John Giannini has built up a strong presence as well. It would be great if the longer-standing Big 5 coaches could make a more concerted effort to welcome Miller into the Big 5 community and set up an open and consistent dialogue about how to improve on a wonderful but fading tradition.

You can continue to leave your thoughts and comments here -- the more the merrier. I'll try to look into the issue as much as possible throughout the season, and your feedback would be most helpful.