THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Gerorce W. RiguTMirRE, President
DEPARTMENT OF PHysICAL EDUCATION

L. W. St. Joun, Director COLUMBUS

February 1, 1939

I am enclosing the first release of information regarding
the NeCeAsAe Tournament, since we finally have the Eastern play-off,
the Western playeoff and the final game set. You will notice there
is a sh@st of general information and also several sheets for use in
your district. We have endeavored to give you definite information
as to the territory which your district covers, together with the
NeCeAeAe schools in your district. If you should find any discrepancy
in this list, I wish you would let me know at once so I may get the
matter straightened out. We don't want to overlook anybody and the
list as I have given it to you is correct to the best of my knowledge.
I am, however, making a chock with Dean Nicolson, the Secrotary of the
NeCeAeAe, to make sure that it is correct with respoct to his records.

I think now that the play-offs and the final game have been
definitely sot, wo should get busy in each district in the matter of
talking about the tournamonts; gotting as many poople as possible in=
torostod in the ideas of this tournamont, which is to decide as bost
wo may tho N.C,A.A. Baskotball Championship. I think it is incumbent
upon each mombor of the committoc to sproad the word wherevor possible

that this is not a "National Intercollegiate Championship" sponsored
by tho N.C.AeAe, but rathor a tournament run by tho NeC.AA. for its
mombership onlye I am sure you got tho distinction. Obviously, there
aro a mumbor of schools with good basketball tcams who aro not mombors
of tho N.C.AsAe, but wo are not interosted in thom in connoction with
our tournamente We are not competing with such othor tournamonts as
may bo run throughout tho countrys; wo are simply trying to put over
in tho best possible mamnor this N.C.A.A. tournamont, but I think it
should bo rather clear to overybody that if we do a good job, this
tournamont will bo the outstanding basketball tournament in the countrye

I think I sco a fine opportwmity for building up a lot of
jntorest in this tourmamont through the work of committeo men in each
districte As tho season goos along and various teams begin to "stick
their heads up", they ought to be singled out as potential roprosontas
tives from that district. I think in this way we can build up a good
doal of interest as the toams “come down the strotch” in each of our
oight districts.

Please boar in mind that because of the very general ob»
jection to any amoumt of posteseason play wo want, if possible, to
soloct tho bost team in cach district without any ployeoffs. If,
howover, you find it impossiblo to make a final selection, as botwoon
two toams, lot us say, and you find that these toams are willing to
play off to sec who will reprosont the district, then I can see no
objoction to such a procodurce