Why did the University of Chicago leave the Big Ten?

The University of Chicago is one the most elite institutions in the US. It's part of the Ivy League Plus club, which is the schools in the US that are considered as renowned as Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and the other members of that old athletic conference.

Something that is conspicuously absent from institutions nowadays is athletic achievement, with the institution being one of the few in the USA that doesn't offer athletic scholarships.

The Spartans took Chicago's spot in the Big Ten

Chicago's athletic past

In 1939, the University of Chicago left the Big Ten and closed its football program. It was a rather sad end for a program that had achieved two national championships and seven Big Ten titles. The Maroons had been playing football since 1892.

While the school was no athletic powerhouse even by the standards of the day, it had a healthy football program that was beloved by campus residents.

The decision was made by President Rober Hutchins, who thought athletics was more of a distraction for the students. Wanting to raise the academic profile of the school, he decided to close down that side of campus life.

Hutchins expected the decision to be so unpopular, that he decided to announce it while the students were on a Christmas Break. Along with football, out went fraternities and religious organizations.

Due to this, there was an immediate decrease in enrollment and financial backing for the school. Football wouldn't return as a varsity sport for 30 years.

Chicago's loss, Michigan's gain

The departure of the Maroons made room for one of the most successful schools in the Big Ten: Michigan State. The media at the time ran wild with rumors of who might replace them, with names like Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, or Nebraska being raised.

But in the end, it was Michigan State which proved more committed to the conference. At the time, their Athletic Director Ralph H. Young, spoke to the media almost immediately after the Maroons announcement:

“Michigan State would be very happy to accept such an invitation if one is extended"