The University of Missouri has been without a president for eight months. A search committee had been hard at work interviewing candidates — until the university’s football team unexpectedly took over the nation’s No. 1 ranking this week.
Interview requests poured in. A Sports Illustrated cover followed.
What’s a university to do?
Top-ranked U. of Missouri football players take the field before a recent game. A win on Saturday means they will play for the national championship.
Missouri says it has been so overwhelmed with the joy ride that it has temporarily tabled its presidential search, the Associated Press reports.
Unexpected sports success has clouded other universities’ priorities before. Last year, when George Mason reached the Final Four in men’s basketball, the university’s provost, Peter Stearns, asked faculty members to show a “bit of leniency” if students skipped class.
If Missouri beats the University of Oklahoma this weekend to secure a spot in the national-championship game, it could mean an even longer wait for a new president. —Brad Wolverton
