
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 5, 1991                   TAG: 9102050415
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TO HELP BOOST ECONOMY

The Metro Conference basketball tournament will provide an $8 million boost to the Roanoke Valley economy next month, Roanoke City Council was told Monday.

Fans from the eight member schools will spend the money on hotel rooms, meals, entertainment and other expenses for the March 7-9 tournament at the Roanoke Civic Center, said Danny Monk, Virginia Tech's associate athletic director and tournament director.

"What better time for it to happen than now?" Monk asked council, alluding to the national economic slump that is beginning to be felt in the valley.

Monk said the tournament will be the biggest sporting event in the state's history. Up to 700 people are expected to attend the tipoff reception for the tournament at the Roanoke Marriott, he said.

Council was told that the only hitch so far is the lagging ticket sales.

"Our only really major challenge is tickets," said Jess Newbern, a member of the tournament committee. But he said the committee plans a creative approach to try to boost ticket sales.

Fewer than 5,000 of the 9,348 tickets available for the three-day tournament had been sold as of Friday. The tournament has been plagued by the impending withdrawal of four schools from the conference and poor play this season by Louisville, traditionally one of the league's top teams.

George Snead, director of administration and safety for the city, assured council that the civic center complex will be in top-flight shape for the tournament.

The civic center was criticized after athletic directors for the league members and Metro Commissioner Ralph McFillen toured the coliseum in December. They saw a building sorely in need of repainting in several areas.

But city officials said the renovations had been put off because they wanted the coliseum to "look its best for the tournament." Center Manager Bob Chapman said some improvements had been delayed until after a monster-truck show and a circus vacated the coliseum.

New basketball goals and backboards, which were bought especially for the tournament, arrived Monday. Interior painting and exterior cleaning of the coliseum are under way, Snead said.

The tournament committee will be taken on a tour of the civic center complex during the third week of this month to make sure the cleaning, repainting and renovations have been finished, Snead said.

by CNB