Division II is the place for Hillsdale
Two weeks ago, after the men's golf team and the women's tennis team were cut an article was printed in the Collegian arguing that Hillsdale should change from a Division II school to a Division III. However, one member of the Collegian staff did not agree with what was in the article: me.
First, the article questioned Hillsdale College's ability to sustain its level of play for years because of its size. Yes, Hillsdale is much smaller than Grand Valley or Wayne State, but Hillsdale's ability to be competitive against schools that are 20 times larger than we are is a credit to our coaches, athletes and the school itself. Already this year, the men's cross country team finished eighth in the nation, the men's and women's basketball teams are ranked in the top three of the GLIAC South Division, and our volleyball team made it deep into the conference tournament. For a school with fewer students than my high school, I would say that is a pretty successful year.
Now, will Hillsdale be able to continue this high level of competition? I believe they will. Because of these impressive seasons, teams should be able to bring in better recruiting classes and improve their level of play even more, making them able to sustain a high level of play for years.
Second, the article stated that, by moving to Division III, school spirit would increase. I'm sorry, but enough Hillsdale students cannot get excited about Hillsdale facing off against Findlay or Saginaw Valley in football, basketball, baseball, track or whatever sport is competing to fill up Jesse Phillips Arena or Muddy Waters Stadium. I cannot see our students racing over and filling the stands in the sports complex to watch their fellow students battle it out against schools such as Spring Arbor University or Hope College. It's just not going to happen.
Finally, the author(s) wrote, “The major financial burden of a Division II sports program—scholarships—would be removed.”
The article claims that some Hillsdale students are too worried about being “athlete-students” instead of “student-athletes” because they are getting paid to be athletes here.
True, some athletes are here only to play sports, but I find very few of them on this campus. The majority of athletes on campus are devoted students who care a lot about their performance on the classroom as well on the field. People come to Hillsdale because they are able to reach their full potential here, both in the classroom and on the field.
The author(s) of the article and I may disagree on a couple of ideas for the future of Hillsdale athletics, but we do agree on one thing, that we will continue to cheer for the Chargers, whether they are Division II or III.