THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Gerorce W. RicutTmire, President
DEPARTMENT OF PuysicAL EDUCATION

L. W. Sr. Joun, Director COLUMBUS

February 26, 1940

Mr. Philip 0. Badger
New York University
Washington Square
New York, N. Ye

Dear Phils:

I am hastening to answer your letter of February 23, because
I feel that its contents are most important to our National Tournament.

I have been watching with a good deal of interest the fine
record which New york University has been making in basketball this
season and have been hoping all along that for the sake of the Tournament
New York University would continue to stay out in front. And now that
you mention the possibility, which you discussed with Irish the other day,
of playing the first round of the Tournament in the Garden on March 22:
and then taking the final geme for the Eastern play-off Championships
to some other site on Saturday night, I think we have the ideal answer
to a location for the Eastern playeoff. In other words, New York Univere
sity, representing District 2, with the Garden as a place to play the
games, even for one night, makes a perfect set-up. I am sure there
would be a satisfactory court available for the Saturday night game and
if the Garden management is at all reasonable, and I am sure they would
be, we would have an assured financial success for the Eastern play-off
with this sort of a programe

As I see it, New York University can't miss receiving the sew
lection as the NeCeAeA. toam to represent District 2. That fact makes
me very happy because I know of your interest and prominence in all N.C.AsA.
affairs and I know how you have helped to forward the interest of this
National Tournament. And so with New York University selected to repree
sent District 2, I.would hope that you would exert your influence to
assure the participation of New york University in the Eastern play-off,
especially would I feel you could urge this because with the Eastern play=
offs being held in New York, as indicated above, that would mean no loss
of time from classes, and assuming New York would go through to win the
Eastern playeoff, the one game at Kansas City would not involve much loss
of time,ft being a Saturday night game. There is also the possibility
that the New York University team could fly to Kansas City for such a game
and such a procedure would mean little, if any, loss of time from school.

I am certainly hopeful that you would feel as I do about the
worthwhileness of New York's participation in the Eastern play-off. Your
letter has made me very enthusiastic for the success of the whole Tourns=
ment for this season. I feel certain we have a very satisfactory seteup
at Kansas City and that it will carry its part of the program in a fine
manner, and now if we could have this Garden seteup, with the New york
University as one of the teams, I am sure we can wipe out completely the