THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994 TAG: 9406250398
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ABE GOLDBLATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940625 LENGTH: NORFOLK
The 48th annual Shrine game between Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel at Foreman Field on Nov. 12 will be televised by Home Team Sports, the cable network that reaches 2.6 million homes in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Washington.
{REST} Al Tatem, chairman of the Oyster Bowl game that benefits the Shriner's Hospitals for Crippled and Burned Children, said the Southern Conference was instrumental in putting the TV package together.
HTS, through Prime Network, is distributed to 15 regional sports networks nationwide serving nearly 25 million subscribers from California to New Hampshire.
``We're delighted with the national exposure that HTS will give our game,'' said Tatem, who added that the game will begin at 3:30 p.m. instead of the traditional 1:30 starting time because of TV.
The Oyster Bowl was last televised in 1986, when Temple defeated Virginia Tech on a regional TV network cobbled together by the two schools.
The VMI Corps, and probably The Citadel freshman class, will make the trip to Norfolk for the game as well as both bands from the military schools, according to Tatem.
James A. Howard Sr., who books the Oyster Bowl games, says the 1995 game, scheduled for Nov. 15, will match Division I-AA power Georgia Southern and VMI. It will mark the first Oyster Bowl appearance for Georgia Southern, which has won four I-AA national titles.
``And in 1996, it'll be VMI and The Citadel again, and I believe HTS will televise this game every time it is played in the Oyster Bowl,'' Howard said. ``And we intend to match this game every other year. HTS likes the idea because it's the only all-military college football game other than the Army-Navy game going on.''
Meanwhile, the Shriners are seeking corporate sponsorship for their charity game.
``We are negotiating with a national airline to be the sponsor,'' Tatem said.
OYSTER BOWL NOTES: With the exception of the game in Norfolk, all other Oyster Bowl activities, including the street parade, oyster roast and golf tournament, will be held in Virginia Beach for the second consecutive year. ``We were pleased with the way Virginia Beach hosted these events last year,'' said Tatem. ... VMI last played on national television in 1983 when Turner Broadcasting System carried the VMI-Citadel night game at Lexington when temporary lights were installed at VMI ... Tickets for this year's game ($20, $17.50, $12.50 and $12) are on sale at the Shrine Temple on Freemason Street, phone 622-1142. ... The ticket office will be moved to the Shrine activities building at Greenbrier, 645 Woodlake Drive, in August. by CNB