Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991 TAG: 9103030120
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: MEMPHIS, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Barring a last-minute reversal by either school, UNC Charlotte and South Florida will raise the Metro's membership to six after Florida State, South Carolina, Cincinnati and Memphis State leave at the end of this school year.
The announcement probably will be Friday, a source familiar with the Metro said. It was learned that the Metro has booked rooms at the Roanoke Airport Marriott, the tournament's headquarters, for UNC Charlotte athletic director Judy Rose and South Florida athletic director Paul Griffin from Thursday through Sunday - the days of the tournament.
A source familiar with the Metro's plans said the new Metro will continue to share NCAA Tournament revenue under a similar format in effect for this month's tournament. Under that plan, the Metro has set aside $475,000 of the $975,000 it received under the NCAA's new distribution plan; of that $475,000, each Metro team gets $44,000 per round of the NCAA Tournament.
The remainder, after all Metro teams are eliminated, is split evenly among the league's teams. Next year, the source said, Metro teams likely will keep $50,000 per round.
The new Metro, under an NCAA continuity-of-membership proposal, will not have an automatic bid to the tournament in 1991-92 but will have one in 1992-93.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Saturday that each Metro school has agreed to put up a $500,000 letter of credit, to be forfeited if a school leaves the league within five years.
UNCC and South Florida are charter members of the Sun Belt Conference, which began play in 1976-77. The teams played each other Saturday night in the Sun Belt tournament in Mobile, Ala.
Sportswriter Jack Bogaczyk contributed information for this story.
by CNB