Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 11, 1995 TAG: 9502140038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After being stood up again by Virginia Tech, the Colonial Athletic Association may elect to fire a retaliatory shot toward Blacksburg.
Colonial commissioner Tom Yeager said Friday that Tech's decision to join the Atlantic 10 Conference next season has left some CAA schools so bitter that it has prompted discussion of eliminating the Hokies from all non-revenue sports schedules.
``We're disappointed by Tech's decision,'' said Yeager, who rolled out the red carpet for the Hokies, but to no avail.
``There's certainly a feeling in our conference that Virginia Tech basically has told us we're not good enough. It's like they're saying, `We don't want to marry you, we just want to live with you.'''
For that reason, the prevailing sentiment around the Richmond-based CAA is fast becoming to heck with Tech. If the Hokies don't want us, we don't want them, the CAA schools say.
``The only CAA school that plays Tech in basketball now is William and Mary,'' Yeager said. ``Richmond has played more games against Virginia Tech than the A-10 combined.
``It's getting to the point where Tech only wants to play us when it's convenient for them.''
Speculation that the Colonial schools might erase Tech from their non-revenue schedules if the Hokies joined the A-10 surfaced two weeks ago.
``It's a pretty well-founded rumor,'' said Dave Braine, Tech's athletic director. ``That's all I'm saying about it.''
The sport affected most by such a development would be baseball. Hokies coach Chuck Hartman, who would have preferred to have taken his program to the Colonial instead of the weaker A-10, said if the CAA elects not to play Tech, it will leave a huge hole in his schedule. Tech has 10 games scheduled against CAA members this season.
``We've heard that,'' Hartman said. ``But I've talked to two different Colonial schools and they said unless they got directives from their [athletic directors] they were going to still play us.
``Right now, for 1996 I think we've got from 14 to 16 games against the Colonial. They would really create a problem if they didn't play us. Obviously, if that happens, it means more money [lost] and more travel for us.''
Tech's wrestling program has competed in the Colonial for years as an associate member because the Metro Conference, in which the Hokies have competed for 17 years, didn't offer the sport.
The A-10 doesn't sponsor wrestling, either, so the Colonial is the only option for coach Jerry Cheynet's program.
``has been no decision on that,'' said Yeager, when asked if Tech's wrestling would continue to compete in the Colonial.
Yeager, who campaigned hard for the Hokies, said the Colonial will survive. The CAA added Tech's Metro partner, Virginia Commonwealth, as a ninth member for '95-96 on Thursday.
``We went out of our way to accommodate Tech and I thought we had a good chance at getting them,'' he said. ``We told them we were very comfortable with them leaving one day for the Big East.
``But, basically, it came down to a basketball decision. We were better everywhere else.
``But Tech chose the A-10 and I wish it luck. Believe me, the Colonial will go on.''
The Colonial had pursued Tech before, and failed. Will it try again?
``In this business,'' Yeager said, ``you learn to never say `never.'''
by CNB