AMATEUR ATHLETICS. I was once looking forward to a home game against Wisconsin at home. Didn't happen ("Bought Wins Become More Expensive.") A Northern Star columnist sums up the switch of this year's game from DeKalb to Madison in exchange for a Soldier Field game in two years: "NIU sold out." He's too realistic to be disillusioned.

Hey, I understand why the change in venue; it makes sense for the athletic department. The payment from this game will go into NIU’s guarantee account and that is used for athletics; like participating in a bowl game. That way if NIU loses money, which it has in the last two games, it can cover the football team’s expenses.

To understand things that way, however, is to not be able to note that it's amateur sport, and it has nothing to do with money.