ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996                 TAG: 9605160150
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-3  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

ACC STAYS THE COURSE

THE CONFERENCE decides not to change its men's basketball tournament format - this year.

Faced with intriguing possibilities and uncertain consequences, the ACC decided Wednesday to wait at least a year before changing the format of its men's basketball tournament.

Gene Corrigan, the ACC's commissioner, said athletic directors felt it would be a mistake to rush into changing a tournament that has been so successful for the past four decades.

``No one felt comfortable,'' Corrigan said Wednesday at the ACC meetings. ``On the other hand, there was not a lot saying, `No way we're going to change.' Even people who came in opposed to the idea were more open to it.

``They just didn't want to do it this year.''

The ACC's coaches had unanimously recommended changing the format to reward the regular-season champion and create more excitement in the conference race during the final weeks of the regular season.

Since Florida State joined the league five years ago, the eighth- and ninth-place teams have played for a berth in the quarterfinal round. Under the proposed format, the sixth-place team would have met No.9 and No.7 would have played No.8. The No.1 seed would have received a bye into the semifinals.

The ACC tournament sells out every year, and even the play-in game between the worst two teams often draws a crowd of 18,000 or more.

``One thing we want to do is find out from our fans what they would like because it's very important to them,'' Corrigan said.

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