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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 21, 1991                   TAG: 9103210061
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

'DESIGNATED GAMES' NOT IN BIG EAST PLAN FOR FOOTBALL SEASON

Ever since the Big East Conference officially formed a football league in February, Virginia Tech officials have wondered which of the Hokies' 10 non-Big East football games this fall would be chosen to count as league games for the purpose of determining a conference champion.

The answer? Probably all of them.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Wednesday that the league almost certainly won't use selected non-conference games as "designated" conference games to figure out league standings before all eight schools can implement a full league schedule.

Tech, Miami, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Temple, Rutgers and West Virginia will inaugurate the Big East football conference this fall.

"We may count everyone's entire schedule," Tranghese said after two days of meetings with conference athletic directors and football coaches Monday and Tuesday in Newark, N.J. "I don't think we'll go to designated games. `Designated games' is a monstrosity.

"The coaches recommended we take everyone's schedule as it is and whoever has the best won-lost record [is the league champion]."

In any case, the Big East probably won't be fiddling with makeshift conference schedules for more than two seasons. Tranghese said the coaches and athletic directors unanimously agreed to work toward implementing a full round-robin league schedule by 1993, meaning each of the eight teams will play the other seven each year.

There had been talk that heavyweights such as Miami would push for fewer conference games so they could play more national non-conference games. Tech coach Frank Beamer has advocated a seven-game schedule.

"I was shocked we would get it done that quickly," Tech athletic director Dave Braine said. "But with the change in administration at Miami [it was easier]."

Tranghese said every school except Tech already has scheduled at least five Big East league games for 1993; the Hokies have three. Tranghese said the league may or may not achieve its full league schedule by '93.

by CNB