ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, October 11, 1996 TAG: 9610110039
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
The Southern Conference, in order ``to clear the air,'' according to one league official, held a conference call Wednesday morning to discuss an article that appeared in Tuesday's edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The article, which was picked up by papers in North Carolina and South Carolina, referred to a proposed formation of an NCAA Division I-AA football league that would become part of the Colonial Athletic Association. Southern Conference members VMI, The Citadel and Furman were mentioned as possible members of the new alliance, along with Davidson, which does not compete in football in the Southern Conference.
During the conference call, athletic directors from VMI, The Citadel, Furman and Davidson were said to have ``stated that their institutions did not have an interest in leaving the Southern Conference,'' according to a league release.
Southern Conference commissioner Wright Waters and league president Col. Tom Davis, a VMI history professor and faculty athletics representative, also participated on the call.
The Colonial Athletic Association has not yet contacted the Southern Conference schools about switching leagues and creating a CAA football alliance, according to one Southern Conference athletic director. CAA member schools who compete in football (Richmond, James Madison and William and Mary) currently play in the Yankee Conference.
The single-sport Yankee, however, will go under the all-sport Atlantic 10 umbrella by the end of the year. The Atlantic 10 reportedly is pondering forming a Division I-A football league. The A-10's membership fees are said to be much higher than those of the Yankee Conference.
The Southern Conference tried to lure Richmond, JMU and William and Mary last year, but with the Yankee seemingly in good health, they stayed put. While Richmond and JMU wanted to accept the offer, William and Mary did not, and the three schools agreed they wouldn't make any moves unless it was a unanimous decision.
The Southern Conference said it would like a 12-team football structure split into north and south divisions, with the champions of the two divisions participating in a championship game before the I-AA playoffs. A possible alignment would have Richmond, JMU, William and Mary, VMI, Appalachian State and East Tennessee State in the North. The South would then include Western Carolina, UT-Chattanooga, Furman, The Citadel, Wofford and Georgia Southern.
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