A study of the problems ensuing from the growth of intercollegiate athletics during the 1920's into monumental fund-raising events reveals striking social parallels between that time and the present day. This paper examines the social and economic conditions that contributed to the "sports boom" of the Twenties and comments on the similarities found in the attitudes and approaches of modern-day varsity athletics personnel. The impact of disproportionate emphasis on competition on the development of physical education is discussed. Negative results of the changed attitude towards amateur sports with regard to educational quality, admissions standards, and national philosophy are also considered. The appropriate place of athletic programs in the college curriculum is debated, and the history of women's sports in the 1920's is briefly mentioned. (LH)