"Without scholarships, they can't get into the national scene," said Joe Carriere, Saenz's roomate. "It's not as important for them to win. It teachers them different values. In the Ivy league, athletics is more of a bonus than a priority."

Most of the bonus babies, however, turn elsewhere, leaving Ivy squads without the depth necessary to compete on the national level.

"I doubt that Harvard could compete against Miami or the bigger schools," said University of Miami wide receiver Michael Irvin, a 1988 first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys.

"The key thing to being a national powerhouse is having speed," added Irvin, whose college squad captured the national title this year. "Most of the key positions you have to have a guy that runs a 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 in the 40. I don't think Harvard or any Ivy League schools gets that many guys if any, that run a 4.4."

"If a guy can run a 4.4, he's going to opt for a school that is going to be on national television," said Irvin.

Thurman Thomas, a running back for Oklahoma State, concurred. "I don't think Harvard could compete against Oklahoma, Nebraska or any of the other big-time schools," said the formerHeisman nominee and recent second-round draft pickof the Buffallo Bills.

"My opinion is that the Ivy League is thesmartest league anywhere. In the Ivy League,athletes are looking for a good education, not toget drafted in the NFL," Thomas added.

But whereas Harvard has not broken onto thenational scene in most big-time sports--hockey isa notable exception--other highly ranked academicschools have, across the board.

"I think Stanford puts a lot more emphasis onits athletic program," said Sandra Birch, a memberof the nations's second-ranked tennis team whochose Stanford over Harvard. "There's a lot morerespect for athletes at Stanford form the faculty,administrators and the student body," she added.

"I think the high school athletes that arelooking for academics and athletics are choosingStanford over Harvard or Yale," Stanford DailySports Editor Jon Weisman said. "Stanford is thebest combination of both."

"People feel that if we were in the Ivy League,we would dominate it in most every sport," Weismanadded. "But of course, it's a whole different typeof atmosphere in the Ivies.