This week in Duke history: 'Blue Angels' program matches football recruits with female hosts

Louisville may have made national headlines last fall with the NCAA’s investigation into its alleged hiring of prostitutes for basketball recruits—but it comes out of a milder, albeit potentially related tradition.

The Chronicle reported Dec. 2, 1988, on Duke’s “Blue Angels” program for recruits. Like many southern schools in college football, the Blue Devils would attract recruits on their visits by assigning them a female student to show them around.

Almost all the interactions between the females and the recruits were monitored, but it did not stop the speculation. In fact, many at Duke, including then- and current-dean of student life Sue Wasiolek, did not know such a program existed.

"I would have to say, from the outside looking in, and not being very familiar with the program, that it does allow one to draw the conclusion that it it is a sexist organization and that it promotes sexist ideas,” Wasiolek said at the time.

“However, being unfamiliar with the program, I feel uncomfortable drawing those conclusions,” she added.

The program no longer exists.