Spring Break
SIUC named worst for sports
Steve M. Britt
Issue date: 9/30/03 Section: News
Southern Illinois University Carbondale was named the worst college sports town in America.
Sports Illustrated on Campus, a new insert in 72 college newspapers, gave that title to SIUC in the Sept. 16 issue.
The magazine said only 7,854 seats were filled out of 17,324 for its football home opener against Quincy College.
"Its 20,000-plus student body is notorious more for imbibing spirits than showing spirit," the magazine said.
According to SIUC athletic spokesman, Director of Media Services Tom Weber, the polling process wasn't official.
"It wasn't a scientific poll; it doesn't reflect our performance on the field," Weber said.
Weber said that each of the 72 colleges has a correspondent for Sports Illustrated on Campus. SIUC correspondent, Sports Editor Todd Merchant, received a poll and indicated that its sports enthusiasm was the worst.
"There was a question regarding the best college sports town," Merchant said. "I figured between the two (choices), we were one of the worst. I listed the pros and the cons."
"He wasn't serious," Weber said. "He was being tongue-in-cheek."
Weber said there were only three other schools that said they were the worst.
"So out of the four, we got named (the worst) and I don't really know how they came up with that," Weber said. Sports Illustrated On Campus Editor Chris Stone said that it was an exhaustive research process.
"We surveyed hundreds of people, not just our campus correspondents. ... It wasn't just Southern Illinois students. We solicited opinions from other schools," Stone said.
Stone indicated that Merchant's opinion was not the only factor in naming SIUC.
"There seemed to be this strange consensus as SIUC being the worst college town," Stone said.
Sports Illustrated on Campus, a new insert in 72 college newspapers, gave that title to SIUC in the Sept. 16 issue.
The magazine said only 7,854 seats were filled out of 17,324 for its football home opener against Quincy College.
"Its 20,000-plus student body is notorious more for imbibing spirits than showing spirit," the magazine said.
According to SIUC athletic spokesman, Director of Media Services Tom Weber, the polling process wasn't official.
"It wasn't a scientific poll; it doesn't reflect our performance on the field," Weber said.
Weber said that each of the 72 colleges has a correspondent for Sports Illustrated on Campus. SIUC correspondent, Sports Editor Todd Merchant, received a poll and indicated that its sports enthusiasm was the worst.
"There was a question regarding the best college sports town," Merchant said. "I figured between the two (choices), we were one of the worst. I listed the pros and the cons."
"He wasn't serious," Weber said. "He was being tongue-in-cheek."
Weber said there were only three other schools that said they were the worst.
"So out of the four, we got named (the worst) and I don't really know how they came up with that," Weber said. Sports Illustrated On Campus Editor Chris Stone said that it was an exhaustive research process.
"We surveyed hundreds of people, not just our campus correspondents. ... It wasn't just Southern Illinois students. We solicited opinions from other schools," Stone said.
Stone indicated that Merchant's opinion was not the only factor in naming SIUC.
"There seemed to be this strange consensus as SIUC being the worst college town," Stone said.
