ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 5, 1995 TAG: 9512050046
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
A THIRD CONSECUTIVE sellout might be too much to ask for Saturday's Stagg Bowl in Salem.
This time, they didn't get the big-ticket draws and they've never gotten along with the weather. Officials with the 23rd annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl may need a miracle for the charm of three consecutive sellouts at Salem Stadium.
Would a local connection do? The Trane Company, a $3.2 billion manufacturer of air conditioners, has its world headquarters in La Crosse, Wis., home of the Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles. Trane happens to have a regional office, Newbern-Trane, in Roanoke. Approximately 10 employees in the Roanoke office, including owner Jess Newbern, have lived, worked or trained in La Crosse.
The head of Trane's North American commercial group, Jim Schultz, has a son, Chris, who is a 5-foot-10, 280-pound center on the Wisconsin-La Crosse squad.
Newbern spent six months in La Crosse in 1967. When he heard the Eagles would be playing at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Stagg Bowl, he couldn't believe it.
``I voice-mailed everybody this morning,'' Newbern said. ``I figure we'll buy a block of 50 to 100'' tickets. Newbern bought 30 tickets Monday.
That's good news to game officials. After sellout crowds of 7,242 and 7,168, respectively, in 1993 and 1994, ticket sales have been slower in 1995. Game director Carey Harveycutter estimated 3,700 to 3,800 tickets have been sold locally. That's about 400 behind last year's pace, and it would be more if not for the 570 or so bought by the NCAA for Saturday morning's Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinic.
In recent weeks, game officials made it no secret the best matchup for ticket sales would be Mount Union-Washington & Jefferson. But it was the Eagles and the Profs of Rowan who survived Saturday's semifinals.
Mount Union and W&J each had committed to 1,000 tickets. Wisconsin-La Crosse and Rowan each ordered 500 after their victories.
Rowan officials have stressed how much they enjoyed their 1993 Stagg Bowl experience in Salem (even with a 34-24 loss to Mount Union) and both coach K.C. Keeler and Harveycutter have spoken of the many word-of-mouth endorsements they've heard from back on the Profs' campus.
``I think they'll generate a bigger crowd than they did in '93,'' said Steve Bamford, chairman of the NCAA Division III football committee. Rowan brought 400 fans to the 1993 game.
Harveycutter added that many local people seemed to take to and develop friendships with the Rowan fans in '93. He expects several busloads to accompany Rowan's regular car caravan to the Roanoke Valley this week.
Wisconsin-La Crosse announced Monday it will offer a charter flight for its fans, in addition to flying the team here.
``The first year we said we'd be happy with 4,500 people at the game,'' Harveycutter said. ``We've had two sellouts. We've been spoiled the first two years.''
TV TIME: Even if the game is not sold out, ESPN2 will not black out in the game in the Roanoke Valley. Game officials decided to release the game to ESPN's sister network no matter how many tickets are sold.
``I don't think it will cost us 200 tickets,'' Harveycutter said.
Booth Communiations, which services Salem's cable television, on Friday placed ESPN2 on its system at channels 61 and 66.
Mike Adamle and former Georgia Tech coach Bill Lewis will call the game live. ESPN will rebroadcast the game at 1 p.m. Monday.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 linesby CNB