Observer-Dispatch (Utica, NY)
October 21, 2003 Tuesday
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 1C
Colgate to offer athletic scholarships

By CRAIG MUDER

HAMILTON - For five-plus years, Colgate men's basketball coach Emmett Davis has been able to offer recruits a chance to play Division I basketball while earning a top-notch education.

What Davis hasn't been able to offer - unlike almost all of his 327 fellow coaches - is an athletic scholarship.

On Monday, Colgate University leveled that playing field by announcing it will offer athletic scholarships in 13 varsity sports starting with incoming freshmen in 2004.

'We'll have three scholarships this year, and it opens up the pool of candidates we can talk to and actively recruit,' Davis said. 'There were kids in the past we couldn't even get in the doorway due to finances.

'It's a very good thing. But it doesn't change how you do your job. You've just got to be more precise in your evaluations of your recruits and not make too many mistakes.'

Colgate will offer a total of 31 athletic scholarships for 13 sports: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's soccer, and women's field hockey, softball and volleyball.

Football is not affected by this plan because Colgate's conference, the Patriot League, does not permit scholarships in that sport. The football team will still have 15 need-based scholarships.  @ 10:27 AM