ODAC KEEPS TOURNAMENTS IN SALEM

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

DATE: FRIDAY, February 5, 1993                   TAG: 9302050003
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ODAC KEEPS TOURNAMENTS IN SALEM
The Salem Rotary Club and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference signed a contract Thursday to keep the ODAC men's and women's basketball tournaments at the Salem Civic Center through 1996.
After the conference received interest from Lynchburg, Harrisonburg and Richmond as potential hosts, the ODAC decided to keep the events in Salem, where this month the Rotary Club will be the tournaments' sponsor for the 14th year.
ODAC commissioner Dan Wooldridge said after the monthly Rotary meeting that the Salem club will guarantee the league $4,000 annually, plus 20 percent of the net profits from the tournaments. The Rotary Club uses the other 80 percent to aid local community service organizations.
In the 13 years of ODAC sponsorship, the Rotary Club has contributed more than $100,000 to local charities, including $13,000 from the 1992 event. This year's event, which consists of the men's and women's semifinals and championship games, will be played Feb. 25-27.
The men's semifinals are scheduled Thursday night, with the women's semifinals Friday afternoon and the championship games at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday.
"After we got legitimate offers to move the tournament elsewhere, we considered them, but I didn't really want to move it," said Wooldridge, who runs the ODAC office from College Avenue in Salem. "We're glad the Rotary will continue its support. The 13-year affiliation has been a good one."
Beginning next season, the ODAC will play the entire eight-team men's and women's tournaments at the civic center, including a six-game day. This year, the four higher-seeded teams in each tournament again will be host to first-round games.
Tickets for the tournament this month may be purchased from Salem Rotarians and at the ODAC office. The six-game tournament ticket book costs $7.50. Individual session tickets are priced at $5 at the civic center box office.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB