into a corner there. And while there are certainly some academics who would like big time athletics to disappear, I think that's relatively few. I don't want it to disappear, I just don't buy it's criticality to the reputation of a university...that somehow athletic success translates in any significant way to academic success. It's the front porch for some people. Many don't give a rip (or are actually annoyed by it). A sports message board is really representative of the greater population that cares about universities. The front porch also has little to do with the quality of the house. I used to live in a million dollar lake house. The front porch was pretty unimpressive. Even if you think athletics is paramount, there's a point where it's too expensive isn't there?