"[A debate] would probably affect the campus more than we would want it to," Wrinn said.

Hosting a debate is also a costly proposition. Host schools must pay the commission $550,000, normally covered through sponsorships and donations, although McLaughlin said she did not think cost was a consideration in Harvard's decision.

Why They Do It

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But where Harvard sees a hassle, some other schools saw an opportunity to put their campus in the spotlight and provide a unique educational experience.

"[Students] get to see what it takes to put on a major political event," said Kevin P. Cox, a spokesperson for Wake Forest University, the host of one of this year's presidential debates. "That's something you wouldn't see on the television screen."

As vice president of University of Richmond, John Roush saw first-hand the impact that hosting a national debate -as Richmond did in 1992--could have on a school. When he became president of Centre College, Roush decided that Centre should try to host the debates.

"I knew…when it was all over the college and the city of Danville would be forever changed and forever better," he said.

With an enrollment of just over 1,000 and a non-urban location in Kentucky, the school has not received the recognition it deserves, said Patsi Barnes Trollinger, a Centre College spokesperson.