<p>I think that much of the attitude towards sports at UChicago comes from the athletes themselves, who value their education as much as their prowess on the playing field. They have to - there are no academic ‘breaks’ for them, and I feel like maintaining the balance between school and sports is as much a marker of their UChicago-ness as it is a burden, sometimes. This is from the University of Chicago Athletics Department letter to Varsity Athletes:</p>
<p>“I would like to welcome you to a program that is founded on a clear commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the playing fields. The University continues to believe - sincerely - in that truly unique balance of mind and body in which good athletes and good teams win not only games and championships, but academic distinctions as well. This is not to say that we devalue athletic accomplishment—only that we achieve it with well-rounded, fully-developed students who take a real interest in the College’s intellectual life and the world around them.”</p>
<p>This article about the football team is really interesting, too: [The</a> Core: College Magazine of the University of Chicago](<a href=“http://thecore.uchicago.edu/Winter2012/features/ineligible-receiver.shtml]The”>The Core: College Magazine of the University of Chicago)</p>