Thanks to Kurt for the discussion of the A.I.   As usual,  I'd like to
make a couple of further points and raise a couple more questions.
 
     It seems obvious that the purpose of the A.I. was simply to prevent
schools from going out and hiring semi-literate teams  --  something that
goes on quite regularly in big time football and basketball.   (That's one
of the reasons we call it the NC$$,  folks.)   And,  I'm sure that its
creation was based on a demand by the Ivies,  and that their intent was to
keep the playing field level (they can only give need-based aid).   I also
rather doubt that anyone thought that the A.I. would improve the quality of
the student body as a whole.   Viewed in those terms,   I think that its
intent was to minimize any degradation in academic quality caused by
athletics  --  something that the Ivies have always been on the top step
about.
 
     The fact that no one seems to know the rating metric formula(s)
involving the four parameters that Kurt mentioned constitutes a pretty basic
gap in our level of understanding of the A.I.   Does anyone on the list have
access to information or resources that could uncover that (those)
formula(s)???   Are the member institutions required to provide the league
with their statistical information,  or is the whole thing done on the honor
system?   If the latter,  do any of the schools even bother making the
numbers any more?
 
     Lastly,  if only the **mean** of a team's ranking metrics must fall
only above [minus one sigma] of the overall student body distribution,  that
is virtually *no* restriction on giving a scholarship to one or two student
athletes with very shaky academic credentials.   What it does prevent is
awarding *all* the scholarships to players who have paid little attention to
the academic side of the equation.   I guess that I have little quarrel with
the A.I. if that is the case,  and I don't see why it should be such an
irritant to RPI.   It appears that the A.I.'s practical effects are probably
very small.   In fact,  I would suspect that it is still in place for
cosmetic reasons.
 
     -- Dick
 
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