Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 20, 1995 TAG: 9501200075
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth are calling for the NCAA to intervene and mediate the dispute over the Metro Conference's proposed realignment.
The two schools filed suit in Richmond Circuit Court on Tuesday, asking the court for an injunction to maintain the current conference alignment until the suit is resolved. Tech and VCU filed the suit four days after learning of a plan to expel their athletic programs from the Metro for 1995-96.
The suit names as defendants the Metro Conference, Metro commissioner Ralph McFillen and the 12 universities involved in a new all-sports league under the Metro name.
Also named are the president or chancellors, athletic directors and faculty representatives of the five Metro schools that are trying to disassociate Tech and VCU from the conference. The other seven schools who would join the league, prompting the Metro five to boot Tech and VCU, are Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis, DePaul, Marquette, St. Louis and Alabama-Birmingham.
Dave Braine, Tech's athletic director, said Thursday that Tech and VCU are hopeful the NCAA ``will come in, mediate and solve everything to everyone's satisfaction.''
The NCAA, which traditionally has stayed out of conference disputes, had not responded as of Thursday to the request made by VCU president Eugene Trani.
Should the conference presidents agree to mediation by the NCAA, Tech and VCU officials have shown a willingness to suspend legal proceedings for 30 days to allow for adequate time to reach a resolution.
The crux of the lawsuit is money.
Tech and VCU view the expulsion plan as an attempt by the other Metro schools to avoid paying a $500,000 departure fee and shares of other conference revenue, such as television fees and NCAA Tournament receipts.
Meanwhile, the other schools contend that by making the moves under the Metro banner, they shouldn't be obligated to pay the $500,000 departure penalty fee, because technically they are not leaving.
Tech and VCU consider that an unethical escape route, so they have moved to block it with the suit and the injunction request. A hearing on a temporary injunction has been set for 9 a.m. Jan.26.
``We don't want to wage an extended legal battle here,'' Trani said. ``Our goal is to resolve this quickly and fairly. We certainly want an explanation for why this is happening.''
Among the lawyers representing Tech and VCU in the case is State Attorney General James S. Gilmore.
Braine said Tech, which until Tuesday had showed little inclination to join VCU in a legal fight, had little choice in the matter.
``Basically, we had the choice of being a defendant or a plaintiff in the case because VCU was going to do it,'' Braine said. ``We may have taken a different course, but we had no choice.''
Unlike VCU, Tech never wanted to be a part of the new league because its football program is flourishing in the lucrative Big East Football Conference
When the Metro squabble is settled, the Hokies' likely destination will be the Atlantic 10 Conference. Sources said the Hokies already have been accepted by the A-10 school presidents.
However, don't rule out Tech going to the Richmond-based Colonial Athletic Association. Braine met with CAA commissioner Tom Yeager on Monday.
``Our interest in the two Metro schools that appear to be left out of the mix is priority No.1 right now,'' Yeager said. ``Now with the lawsuit, everything has been put on hold.''
Yeager refused to confirm or deny reports that a couple of current A-10 teams - Massachusetts and Rhode Island - could move to the CAA next season. If that scenario pans out, Tech likely would head to the Colonial, which has eight members.
``There's a lot of unsettled business right now with the conferences,'' Yeager said. ``There's a lot of interesting talk, especially in the Northeast quadrant.''
Yeager said there's no deadline to put all the pieces together.
``All this stuff should have been done a long time ago,'' he said. ``As every days passes it becomes more complicated.
``Take Bill Foster [Tech's basketball coach]. He's sitting there right now with two conference games against VCU for next year. It's the same for the other Tech coaches. What do they tell recruits who ask what conference they're going to play in?
``Hopefully, all this will be settled soon. If it were always like this, we'd all be candidates for the funny farm, believe me.''
by CNB