Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 13, 1993 TAG: 9311130082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
If the Hokies and Boston College win today, the Eagles will go to the Carquest Bowl and Tech will go to the Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 31, two sources with knowledge of the deal said Friday.
The deal, made Friday between the bowls and the Big East Conference, protects the Hokies from being left out of the bowl picture if they win today. To accept an Independence bid, Tech needs a release from the Carquest, which is locked into taking a third Big East team as part of the bowl coalition.
The Carquest wanted to retain its rights to Tech in case BC folded down the stretch, but officials of the Miami game have agreed to release the Hokies, provided Boston College beats Pittsburgh (2-7) today. That game starts at 1:30 p.m.
A loss or a tie by Tech or BC voids the agreement.
Dave Braine, Tech's athletic director, didn't confirm the deal, but laid out a Saturday scenario that included Tech and BC victories and said: "The Carquest would probably go ahead and make a deal with BC . . . We'll know by tomorrow afternoon."
Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese would not comment when asked about the agreement.
Mike McCarthy, the Independence Bowl chairman, said he couldn't confirm the deal.
"I hope that's what I'm going to hear, and I would hope to hear that [Friday night]," McCarthy said by phone from his hotel room in Blacksburg. "Tech is very interested in our bowl, [and] I've told other teams we want Tech."
The Independence also is scouting Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana State, Memphis State and Cincinnati.
The Independence pays $700,000 per team, $300,000 less than the New Year's Day Carquest. ESPN will televise the game, which kicks off at 12:30 p.m.
It would be Tech's first bowl appearance since it won the Peach Bowl following the 1986 season. It would be the Hokies' seventh bowl game and second appearance in the Independence, where it lost to Air Force 23-7 in 1984.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB