Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 14, 1991 TAG: 9102140153
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tech President James McComas made the decision after athletic director Dave Braine and Executive Vice President/Chief Business Officer Minnis Ridenour met Wednesday morning to review a report on Tech's potential in three leagues: an expanded Metro with UNC Charlotte and South Florida; the Atlantic 10; and the Colonial Athletic Association.
Braine, representing the athletic department, recommended that Tech's best option was the expanded Metro. McComas agreed, saying the report proved that a new Metro was Tech's "best overall choice" after reviewing issues such as travel, media exposure, revenue potential and compatibility of institutions.
Clifford Cutchins, rector of Tech's Board of Visitors, said two of the deciding factors were that Tech determined it could make more shared NCAA Tournament money in the Metro than in the other leagues and that there would be less travel involved in a new Metro.
"It seemed to be the best thing to do at this time," said Cutchins, who added that the Board of Visitors does not necessarily have to approve McComas' decision. "I don't think any of them are a get-rich kind of thing."
McComas called Metro Commissioner Ralph McFillen with the news Wednesday afternoon. Braine, McFillen and athletic directors from Louisville, Tulane, Southern Mississippi, South Florida and UNC Charlotte are expected to meet Friday in Atlanta to work on details of adding the two Sun Belt Conference members to the Metro.
At issue is commitment. Sources at UNCC and South Florida have said they are ready to join the Metro, but they want a long-term financial agreement from all schools to stay in the league. One proposal, a source close to the Metro said, calls for a $1 million buyout that would decrease by $200,000 each of five years.
"It will be a serious commitment because the Metro will have a buyout figure for the first time," said Braine, who didn't confirm the amount or length.
Some at Tech believe the Hokies will be invited to join the Big East Conference in basketball should that league expand. Braine said he doesn't expect that, if at all, for at least five years.
By choosing the Metro over the Northeast-based Atlantic 10, Tech decided against aligning itself in all sports with three schools - West Virginia, Rutgers and Temple - that will join the Hokies in the new Big East Conference football league. The Atlantic-10 and the CAA had lobbied for Tech to join their leagues. One Tech administrative source said the CAA had faded as a viable option in recent weeks.
The new Metro would bring in the country's No. 13 TV market (Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.) and No. 31 (Charlotte, N.C.). But the Atlantic-10 could have put Tech in media markets such as New York and Philadelphia, two of the country's top-four TV markets, and reinforced the football program's budding Eastern image.
"I don't think it makes any sense at all if they truly want to be big-time in Eastern athletics," Temple AD Charlie Theokas said of Tech's decision. "They placed their football program in an Eastern position. Now, they're doing a 180-degree turn in basketball and non-revenue sports."
The decision did not have unanimous support among the Tech community, either, although the athletic department was said to heavily favor the Metro.
"Getting us into the A-10 was putting us into TV markets, and we have a lot of alumni between Washington [D.C.] and Boston," said an administrative source at Tech, who asked not to be identified. "It would've given us a lot of alumni exposure."
Braine and Tech's brass saw it differently.
"We feel like we're going to get Big East interest and influence with football," Braine said. "The basketball going to the Southeast gives us a larger geographical area for the total sports program."
In an informal poll conducted by the Roanoke Times & World-News last month, several Hokie Club presidents said even if the Metro expanded, Tech should seek a different affiliation. But although an expanded Metro will lose its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for one year, Braine said the Metro still came out ahead.
"Losing the automatic bid for one year bothered us at first," said Braine, who said the Metro worried about lack of interest in its basketball tournament. "But we'll hold the tournament at Louisville next year and we feel like the tournament will be sold out."
Tech apparently decided it could get better revenues from the Metro, including a bigger share of the Metro's nearly $1 million cut of the NCAA's shared revenue from its new TV package. And, Tech's ties to the Metro were considered.
by CNB