And students could not be more fortunate. With one of the most impressive soccer facilities in the conference only a short walk from the center of campus, free admission to games and some of the best teams in the nation on hand to challenge the Deacs, one could hardly ask for a more exciting athletic environment.

The soccer team is not the only cause for celebration, however. Other fall sports teams have been tearing through the competition, and the athletic program as a whole recently received a tremendous boost when Sports Illustrated ranked it No. 39 nationally. Place that number alongside the university's No. 25 spot in the U.S. News & World Reports rankings of top national universities, and we find ourselves to be quite fortunate to attend a school that balances recreation and academics.

As the second smallest school in the nation to compete in Division I in all its sports, students are provided with the unique opportunity to truly become involved in any and all of the university's sports programs. Not every school provides students free admission to all sporting events as does ours. Moreover, students do not even need to pick up tickets for any sport except basketball, making attendance a breeze.

Only with broad student support can athletics reach their true potential. This holds true not only for the popular football and basketball teams, but for the less visible sports as well. The recent revival of Midnight Madness has reminded us how valuable student participation can be for a team, but we must allow such enthusiasm to carry over into all of the athletic programs.

College students are always looking for some type of free entertainment. What better way to relax and have some fun than to spend an afternoon or evening cheering on some of the best athletic teams in the nation?