“professionals”
to supplement the regular players. The record fails to give a clear picture of Madison’s wins and losses but does show victories over Cornell and Rochester and defeats by Union and Hamilton. Sustained enthusiasm for baseball does not seem to have appeared until the late 1880’s when the students personally contributed towards the team’s expenses and, in addition, gave a concert and staged two shows burlesquing the faculty to raise funds. Starting in 1889 the Madisonensis, reflecting and stimulating student interest, began to give more than sporadic coverage to baseball or any other kind of athletics.
The “minor sports”
of the 1870-’90 period included “football”
which seems to have been a kind of Rugby played with a round ball. There was also tennis and for a brief period a court was laid out near East Hall. The annual intramural field day in October aroused considerable interest; established in 1879, it featured track events. A few students in the ’70’s, catching a prevailing enthusiasm in the colleges for crew, seriously suggested one for Madison.