SMU professor Sanford Thatcher wrote this strongly worded column today arguing that the overemphasis on athletics and the move to the Big East will 1. Reduce the caliber of applicants to SMU 2. Divert giving from academic to athletic endeavors 3. Result in the dissolution of non-revenue sports in the name of protecting the few profitable sports on campus. The kicker? His argument is based on what he (and the book Confessions Of A Spoilsport) says happened to Rutgers when it made the move to the Big East in 1995. (ht: Laken Litman for tweeting this article earlier today)