For decades, the 40-acre meadow separating Adrian College from a state highway was an afterthought on the modest campus of low-slung limestone buildings. However, in less than three years, the grassy expanse, like the college itself, has undergone a transformation. The newly developed acreage--boasting an ice arena, football and baseball stadiums, a track, and a dozen tennis courts--is the cornerstone of a plan to raise enrollment through intense athletics recruiting. To the relief of college leaders concerned about the future of the small, private liberal-arts college, the plan appears to be succeeding more quickly than they had anticipated. Since 2005, enrollment has surged 57%, to 1,470 students, the highest number in at least two decades. More than half of those students play varsity sports. The college has also become more selective: Three years ago, Adrian accepted 93% of the 1,200 students who applied. This year it accepted 72% of its 4,200 applicants. Faculty members, pleased with the trend, say the caliber of students in their classrooms has improved. Jeffrey R. Docking, Adrian's president and a chief architect of the plan, says the use of athletics to drive enrollment could well be "the fountain of youth for small liberal-arts colleges."