Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502230076
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Hokies got their wish Wednesday when the conference announced that George Washington would be grouped with Tech in next season's six-team, two-division format for basketball.
Tech and GW will compete in the West Division, which also will include Dayton, Duquesne, La Salle and Xavier.
The East division is made up of Fordham, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, St.Bonaventure, St.Joseph's and Temple.
Since joining the A-10 two weeks ago, Tech had lobbied hard to be grouped with old rival GW. Not only is the Washington, D.C.-based school the closest A-10 member to Blacksburg, but Tech also has a large alumni base in the Northern Virginia area.
The Colonials reportedly wanted to go to the East and continue to play high-profile programs UMass and Temple twice a season. GW received considerable exposure this season by beating highly ranked UMass twice.
Dave Braine, Tech's athletic director, attended the league meeting in Philadelphia, but was unavailable for comment.
Tech is one of four new A-10 members in the West. Xavier and La Salle are defectors from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. Dayton comes from the Great Midwest Conference, where the Flyers weren't invited to join a new 12-team all-sports league that includes five teams from Tech's current league, the Metro.
Fordham, based in New York City, is the A-10's fifth new member for 1995-96. The Rams come to the A-10 from the Patriot League.
In men's and women's basketball, Tech will play a home-and-home series with its five divisional rivals each season and play each team in the other division once every season, with home games in alternating seasons, for a total of 16 conference games per season.
Linda Bruno, the A-10 commissioner, said the new alignment will stay in effect for two years, then be evaluated.
``Each of our athletic directors was sensitive to various issues, in particular, rivalries, travel and geographic proximity,'' Bruno said.
A-10 officials also indicated the league will not change its name to reflect expansion to 12 members. The A-10 has nine schools this season. West Virginia and Rutgers are leaving the league to join the Big East Conference in all sports for the 1995-96 school year.
by CNB