For a number of years I served as a faculty member on the university’s Athletic Policy Board. The board monitored university athletics. Of special concern was the education of our athletes. The goal was that each athlete should receive a top education, and that all of the athletes should graduate. There was also a concern that women athletes receive their fair share of the budget. And that the various programs live within their means.

I was appointed chairman of the board at a time when finances were in a shamble. Several programs, especially football, were spending more than was authorized by the budget. There was talk of cutting football.

At first, the Athletic Department was happy with my appointment. They presumed I was a guaranteed ally. I was the first in my family to go to a univer-sity. I could not afford college. I went to school on an athletic scholarship. I played football at UCLA. And I’d been on a Rose Bowl team.

So there was surprise when I looked seriously into the option of cutting football from the program. The only decent course would be to honor all of the scholarships and give the players the education they were promised. But after four years there would be no more scholarships and the cost savings would be large. It was worth considering.

My serious look into cutting football resulted in a report to the president that considered all of the options. It turned out that keeping football was less costly than cutting the program to the bone. However, to keep things whole, football and other programs would have to economize. I promised the president I would oversee the cost cutting. In three years, the athletic program was solvent again. As a reward, I was offered the post of Athletic Director. I turned it down. I’d already given the Athletic Program my best ideas. And I would miss the classroom and my students.

The Athletic Department (probably greatly relieved I’d turned down the position) offered me a consolation. I would be the keynote speaker at the year-end Athletic Banquet. The speech was a little bit of philosophy. I mused about the link between athletics and liberal education. And I claimed the bond was strong. Someone in the audience asked for a copy of the speech. A few days later I received a call from an NCAA official asking permission to publish the speech.

Once published, the speech stirred up some controversy. There were many opinions on both sides. The president of a university in California claimed the speech tipped the scales on the university’s decision to expand its football program. A professor in Florida was inspired to develop a new curriculum that will mix athletics and liberal arts. Anyway, here is the speech. Enjoy!