The Fall of Princeton Athletics?

Princeton University: an exemplar of American higher education and an Ivy League athletic powerhouse.

Surrounded by a fabled mystique, the Tigers have dominated a number of sports at the national and league level—basketball, baseball, and soccer, to name just a few.

But a series of shocking events has raised serious questions regarding the athletic program and department.

Feb. 21, 2003: According to the University, star forward and UCLA transfer Spencer Gloger is declared academically ineligible and is suspended from the school for one year. The highly-touted basketball player with a picture-perfect jump shot has since reenrolled in the university, but is no longer on the team.

Gloger was initially recruited by Princeton and attended the institution for one year before transferring to UCLA. He was the league’s top first year and set an Ivy record with 10 threes in a game. Forced to play in the shadow of Jason Kapono with the Bruins, Gloger came back to the Tigers for his junior season, but never really fit into the traditional, selfless back-door offense.

March 26, 2003: According to the University, linebacker Zak Keasey is declared academically ineligible by the University. The team’s leading tackler and middle linebacker returned for the 2004 season after his suspension. In 2004, Keasey led the league in tackles and was again named an All-Ivy selection.

June 20, 2003: According to the University, cornerback Jay McCareins is declared academically ineligible for the fall semester. An All-Ivy selection, McCareins was considered one of the league’s top defensive talents. His outstanding play was crucial in the team’s defeat of Columbia, including a key blocked kick of a Nick Rudd field-goal attempt down the stretch.

July 16, 2003: According to the University, free safety Brandon Meuller is ruled academically ineligible by the University. Another All-Ivy selection, Meuller returned in 2004 and reestablished himself as one of the league’s top defensive backs.

October 20, 2003: Police reports charge forward Andre Logan, one of the team’s top basketball players, with burglary and criminal mischief after attempting to remove a Boston Red Sox flag from the window of a campus eating club. The glass broke, Logan tore a tendon in his hand, and some reports indicated that Logan was intoxicated at the time.

September 2004: Quarterback/wide receiver Bill Foran enrolls at Princeton as a first-year after he redshirted for a full season at Purdue. According to the official statement on Princeton’s admissions Web site, “At this time we are unable to accept applications for transfer admission.”

May 14, 2004: The Daily Princetonian reports that 30 football players are given on-campus summer housing under a new pilot program. In order to qualify for the “lottery” for this special housing, students are required to be working full-time for the University or conducting research for independent work. A number of Princeton students not on the football team who entered the lottery were unable to get this special summer housing.

Sept. 8, 2004: According to the Cornell Daily Sun, a year off due to “personal reasons,” but rumors persist regarding the details of his situation. These rumors include a report in the Cornell Daily Sun that linked Schaen’s decision to academic issues: “Schaen becomes the second notable academic casualty in three years within the Princeton [basketball] program.”

Even ignoring the other rumors surrounding these specific instances, these incidents still read like a scary rap sheet—one disturbing enough to indicate that some action needs to be taken.

It’s time for the Ivy Council to step up. Rather than worrying about the intricacies of the academic index, they need to fix the glaring problems that have brought disrepute to a conference founded upon principles of integrity.

Or maybe it’s time for the NCAA to take a look. Because something’s just not right in Tigertown.