November 12, 2011

President Glassner touts charms of Division III sports in op-ed

As President Barry Glassner discusses in an editorial for The Oregonian, there is much to admire in NCAA Division III sports.

Although Lewis & Clark has enjoyed its best football season in decades, winning its first seven games and reaching the conference championship, Pioneer Athletics is unlikely to land on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Nonetheless, as President Barry Glassner discusses in an editorial for The Oregonian, there is much to admire in NCAA Division III sports. Before joining the Lewis & Clark community in 2010, Glassner worked in the Division I world at University of Southern California.

“On D-III playing fields, student-athletes really are student-athletes,” he explains. “At this level, no one gets athletic scholarships. Students compete not for fame and big crowds, not for a shot at a pro career, but purely for the fun, excitement, and educational benefits they derive.”

From a traditional wood grandstand to a pep band that includes an octogenarian alumnus, Lewis & Clark—like Division III in general—speaks to what Glassner calls “a more innocent iteration of intercollegiate athletics.”

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