Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 25, 1995 TAG: 9504260072
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: Short
Alabama-Birmingham, Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Memphis and Saint Louis from the Great Midwest will join Louisville, North Carolina-Charlotte, Southern Mississippi, South Florida and Tulane from the Metro in a league that will have championships in 18 sports.
Houston of the Southwest Conference will begin participation in 1996, the first year six football-playing members (Houston, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Mississippi and Tulane) will compete for a championship.
Men's basketball will be divided into three divisions - Red, White and Blue. The first conference tournament will be held at the end of next season in Memphis, followed in 1997 by Louisville. The first automatic NCAA Tournament bid will not come until 1997.
The announcement came at a restaurant in Chicago, where the league's headquarters will be the first year, and culminated nine months of planning, officials said. The league begins operations July 1, the day after the Great Midwest and Metro are officially dissolved.
The league presidents picked Michael Slive as commissioner. He held the same post with the Great Midwest the past four years.
One of first major business considerations was to secure television contracts for basketball and football. Conference USA has a six-year agreement with ESPN to do basketball, including a game of the week.
Liberty Sports Inc. and the conference have agreed on a five-year football package. Slive said revenue from the two packages will exceed $30 million.
by CNB