Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 7, 1995 TAG: 9511070055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
In each of the past two years, the Cavaliers have finished in a third-place tie in the ACC yet gone to bowls with the fourth and fifth choices, respectively, of ACC teams.
There is talk the Gator Bowl, with the second pick of ACC teams, might bypass Virginia this year in favor of Clemson, even if the Cavaliers were to tie Florida State for the conference championship.
``People have danced around that issue,'' said Holland, who has spoken with Gator Bowl officials in the past week. ``What they're saying to us is that they want the second-best team, [but] that's certainly a concern.
``If the matchups aren't made on on-the-field performance, then I guess we need to know that. As long as we know what the rules are, then we have to compete in that arena as well.''
Holland's predecessor, Jim Copeland, was criticized for his lobbying efforts the past two years, although Holland made a distinction between lobbying and ticket sales.
``It's not a matter of selling tickets, the way I understand it,'' he said. ``It's a matter of getting people there. Buying the tickets and eating them might get you by for one year, but that's a ploy that's quickly picked up on by the bowls.''
Virginia had a decent track record for selling tickets until the past two years, when it had small fan followings for the Carquest Bowl and Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl.
``I think we can do a better job of educating them to what the bowls are going to be, so they can start making plans,`` Holland said. ``We need to develop a better game plan and we are.''
There has been a perception in recent years the ACC office has not helped Virginia, allowing other ACC athletic directors to promote their agendas at the Cavaliers' expense.
``I think the conference office also feels that Virginia has gotten the short end of the stick,'' Holland said. Commissioner Gene Corrigan has ``been very helpful, personally, in terms of advising me.
``I don't think there's any real negative there, but their goal, as always, is to get as many teams into the bowl picture as they possibly can. If it's obvious we're already in, their focus is, `How do we get somebody else in?'''
The Gator Bowl has second choice of ACC and Big East teams and, for a time, UVa and Virginia Tech held those spots. Now, both teams are in first place; besides, they will meet in the final game of the regular season.
``I guess the loser of that game would be able to say after the game, `Yeah, we'd like a rematch,''' Holland said, ``but I don't think anybody at this stage would say it made any sense.''
by CNB