ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 9, 1996 TAG: 9610090020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
The idea of a Division I-AA football league based in the state of Virginia has been discussed by college athletic directors for more than a decade. That idea may be closer to reality than ever before.
A report in Tuesday's editions of the Richmond Times-Dispatch indicated talks among Richmond, James Madison and William and Mary, members of the football-only Yankee Conference, have heated up recently. Those schools reportedly are interested in forming a new league under the banner of the all-sports Colonial Athletic Association.
The other schools being discussed for the proposed league are current Southern Conference members VMI, The Citadel and Furman, and current Yankee members Delaware and Villanova.
The hypothetical league caught the attention of one coach. ``I think it would be great,'' VMI's Bill Stewart said Tuesday.
An announcement that the Yankee Conference will be absorbed into the Atlantic 10 is upcoming. Under new legislation, single-sport leagues like the Yankee will not be fully recognized by the NCAA, limiting their voting power.
``The only thing definite right now is the Yankee Conference will cease to exist at the end of this year,'' Richmond athletic director Chuck Boone said by telephone Tuesday. Boone also serves as executive director of the Yankee Conference.
Richmond, JMU and William and Mary compete in the Colonial Athletic Association in other sports.
The Yankee Conference, stretching from Virginia to Maine, is in flux. Connecticut recently voted to upgrade to Division I-A and has an option to join the Big East by 1998. UConn already competes in the Big East in its other sports. UMass, which competes in the Atlantic 10 in other sports, also is considering moving to I-A. Other Yankee schools have considered going the non-scholarship football route.
Richmond, James Madison and William and Mary plan on remaining at their current level for the foreseeable future. They discussed making a move toward a Virginia-based league as recently as last year, but voted against it, mainly because they didn't want to lose the benefits of Yankee Conference affiliation. The Yankee champion, for example, receives an automatic berth in the 16-team NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The Northeast also afforded them a large region for exposure and recruiting.
VMI, The Citadel and Furman have less in common with their Southern Conference brethren than in the past. VMI alumni generally prefer facing state rivals rather than schools with directions and hyphens in their names. VMI, The Citadel and Furman also have long competitive histories and share similar philosophies with the Yankee's Virginia schools.
Don Lemish, JMU's athletic director, told the Times-Dispatch, ``We sure would like to be in a situation where we had a [league] relationship with VMI. But as it stands now, we're very committed to the'' Yankee/Atlantic 10 arrangement.
VMI's athletic director, Davis Babb, reiterated that the Keydets are happy in the Southern Conference, which replaces Marshall with Wofford in 1997.
Stewart has been vocal in his support of a state-based league for years. Ideally, he would like to see VMI play its traditional in-state opponents and biggest Southern Conference rivals (The Citadel and Furman). He's also mentioned Delaware and Villanova in the past.
VMI's non-conference schedule then could consist of Army or Navy and a couple Patriot League teams.
``It would be sound, because we've got things in common academically, first and foremost,'' Stewart said. ``Then, you throw in the finances and it makes a lot of sense. How can [the Yankee football teams] keep taking charter flights to places when their women's teams have to take vans?
``And No. 3, what great rivalries we would start and develop.''
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB