The Almighty Buck has reared its ugly head in American society during last year too many times. And sports in this country, whether collegiate professional, have not been immune. So it was refreshing change this week to see two Ivy League schools take the high road and refute the business mentality that pervades athletics today.

Tony Jenkins, the Harvard basketball captain, had a Rhodes Scholarship interview slated for Saturday in Chicago. Since the Crimson was scheduled for a night game with Brown at home in the IAB, it looked like Jenkins would miss the contest.

But in a display of sportsmanship the Brown and Harvard athletic directors got together and moved the game to Sunday night. Robert Watson and Pittenger on the Cambridge end, and Andy Geiger on the Providence smoothed out the schedule change.

(Ironically, Jenkins scored 20 points and the Crimson five upset Brown, 6.3)

The move came after a week when the corruption in many walks of American life was reflected in athletics. The American Broadcasting Company and NCAA came to terms on a two-year $31.7 million contract for the telecasts of national football game-of-the-week. Somehow the $244,000 each college receives to appear on ABC during the season (up $28,500 over last fall) instill character and teach lessons of teamwork and sacrifice. And we complain about violations of the amateur status of Soviet athletes.

If you watched the screen on Saturday you can understand why UCLA's Walton smiles so much. Not only did the Bruins rout North Carolina State the red-headed giant's price tag appreciated with every minute of prime-time played. The professional basketball leagues will pay through the nose for Walton. Any pain Walton goes through now playing on bad kness will be rewarded by a generous financial deal come next year.

Buffalo's Only Justification (O.J.) for existence broke the NFL record rushing in one season on Sunday against the hapless Jets. Simpson smashed Jimmy Brown's old standard and gained over 2000 yards for the season. He also break the banks in upstate New York when salary re-negotiation time around.

The New Year approaches with the climactic absurdity of the Rose - Orange - Gator - Sugar - Cotton - Liberty - Fiesta bowl as millions will sit mesmerized in front of the tube watching the perennials (USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama....) meet. It is big-time football, the big schedule and the big loot, with a few exceptions (like coach Joe Paterno of Penn State) the guy on the field, the ice or the hardcourt gets lost. Big-time football, big-time money, who cares that Oklahoma is on probation and won't play post-season this year because of recruiting violations or that it is no mean feat to graduate a starting backfield.

So in a time of soaring salaries, Big Games, "laundry money" and collegiate professionalism, Watson, Geiger & Co. deserve praise for their handling of the Jenkins matter. They placed a person before a printed schedule and scholarship opportunity before a basketball game. Today, that takes a lot of guts and a lot of heart....