Product Details

The Nashua Telegraph

A fun read for anyone interested in the inner workings of college sports; and a must read for anyone interested in being an Ivy League athlete.

Publishers Weekly

You don't need an Ivy League education to appreciate Lincoln's in-depth look at recruiting in this elite conference, but it helps. A good part of Lincoln's analysis centers on the Academic Index (A.I.), a system devised by Ivy schools that uses stratified bands to limit the number of student athletes schools can admit in certain academic ranges. The A.I. formula is complex and serves to make a difficult recruiting situation for Ivy coaches even harder, Lincoln argues. Because the Ivy entrance requirements are higher than for most other colleges in the nation, before the A.I. was introduced in the early 1980s Ivy coaches had a limited pool of athletes to choose from. Despite being refined several times, the A.I. is still flawed, and Lincoln proposes that it be replaced by a firm minimum standard that would simplify the recruiting process for both the schools and students. Another important factor Lincoln examines in the recruiting wars is financial aid. Since Harvard, Yale and Princeton have the largest endowments, they are better positioned to secure the students they have targeted. In this sound book, Lincoln finds that while the recruiting process is cleaner than most other Division I conferences, the Ivy League is not without its own problems. (July) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

What People Are Saying

The Ivy League's dirty, little, athletic secrets are exposed. . .and Ivy presidents will be blinking and scrambling for safety.

What People Are Saying

There's informative reading here for everyone involved in intercollegiate athletics, from prospective student-athletes through college presidents.

What People Are Saying

It's rare to read such a daring and informative book that manages to walk the line between 'exposing' hidden practices and representing the coaches' side of things too.

What People Are Saying

Chris Lincoln has done an exceptional job of explaining a recruiting process that will surprise lots of folks who think they know all about the Ivy League.

What People Are Saying

[This book] is a serious, straight-faced and hilarious account of the Maypole dance the coaches have to do every year in order to get even half-decent athletes into the Ivy League.

What People Are Saying

Here is the story behind the story of what we see on the field. A fascinating look at the world of sports.

What People Are Saying

Part explainer, part expose and part polemic, [this book] fills a huge gap in our knowledge of how college sports work.

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents