Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 24, 1993, edition 2 / Page 5
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Rules Could Force Some Out of l-AA Status Alcorn State athletic director and football coach Cardell Jones doesn't think it's time to push the panic button, but he does admit there is a need for concern over future NCAA legislation. A During the NCAA I-AA football meetings in Dallas two weeks ago, offi cials from those schools proposed legisla tion to reduce the number of scholarships from 67 to 45. A survey by the Ohio Valley Confer ence revealed 64 of 99 NCAA I-AA schools favored the reduction. The pro posal will be on the agenda at next Janu ary's NCAA convention. " "It is no way we would want to have that happen," Jones said.' "We are trying to build a program here at Alcorn. We are totally against the move." Jones is not alone in his feelings for maintaining the status quo. "This would definitely hurt the small er schools," Mississippi Valley AD Chuck Prophet said. "It would pusn t lie i-aa schools further to Division II and away from the I-A level. I don't think this will get on the agenda." In a vote taken last week, it was 59 13 against cuts. "That doesn't assure anything," said Georgia Southern athletic director Bucky Wagner, who is against the scholarship reduction. 'That's just how people in the room voted ? with football coaches pre sent" Prophet said he would be more in favor of scholarship reduction over the course of several years instead of all at jnnce. ife said a more reasonable approach would be to have two scholarships reduced each year until you get down to 55 in 1998. Some of the larger I-AA schools said they would jump to the I- A level if the proposal is passed. Southern athletic director Marino Casern said his school would look into that option. , "The whole thing would be the end to I-AA and Division n. For some of us, we would think about going into I-A. We could meet the attendance requirements." To achieve I-A status, Southern would have to enlarge Mumford Stadium from 24,000 to at least 30,000 and average 17,000 in paid attendance. Last year Southern led I-AA in attendance with a 20,768 average. SPEED GAME: In a league where up-tempo style is the norm, SWAC bas ketball coaches got a big boost when the NCAA announced that the shot clock for men will be reduced from 45 seconds to 35 next season. "It is going to speed up the game" Mississippi Valley coach Lafayette Strib ling said. "What the new shot clock will do is create more fan interest. Teams won't be able to go into a stall. It will fit us OK.** Last yeir. all th? tcamff in the SWAC averaged over 75 points a game with a combined average of 88.1 among the eight teams. Southern University coach Ben Jobe, whose team won the SWAC tournament title, said the change won't have an effect on his team. The Ruimin' Gunnin' Jaguars led the NCAA in scoring last season with a 97.1 points-per-game average. "I'd like to see a 15-second (shot clock)," said Jobe, whose team stunned Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament "It doesn't affect us. We're going to play the same. We'll still try to average 93 shots a game ? a shot every eight seconds. My concept of bas ketball is based on simplicity. We're going to do the same thing regardless." MAGNIFICENT lis This spring marks the 25th anniversary of Jackson State having a state-record 1 1 players drafted into the NFL. It was the first time a Mississippi school had that many players selected by the NFL draft in a single season. The players chosen were: tackle Tom Funches and defensive back John Outlaw by the Boston Patriots; defensive back Sidney Ellis and Jimmy Smith by the Cincinnati Bengals; defensive end Doug Chatman and defensive back Jimmie Holifield by the New York Giants; flanker Harold Jackson by the Los Angeles Rams; tackle Edgar Whipps and running back Willie Turner by the Cleveland Browns; and tackle James Jackson by the Balti more Colts. "Wt knew we had some good athletes back then," said JSU sports information director Sam Jefferson, who was a class' mate of all the players, "We didn't realize at the time how big it was. It is certainly a big feat to have accomplished. We have always had guys to make it in the NFL." SOUTHERN WINS AGAIN: For the second straight year, Southern has cap tured the three top prizes for athletic com petition in the SWAC. Southern, winners of seven league championships during the 1992-93 school year, captured the second annual SWAC Commissioner's Cup with 126 points, the C.D. Henry men's all-sports trophy and the women's all-sports trophy. "Winning these trophies is a tremen dous tribute to the quality of athletes and coaches that we have in this program,** Southern athletics director Marino Casern said. "It shows the hard work and sincere dedication that our people have put into producing winnen. "Winning the Commissioner's Cup is extremely gratifying to us. It's a great ending to a great year and is the ultimate stamp of approval for this total athletic program." Following Southern in the Commis sioner's Cup rankings were Grambling State with 93 points, Jackson State (92), Texas Southern (79), Prairie View (71.5), Alcorn State (66.5), Mississippi Valley (61) and Alabama State (47). Southern won championships in ten nis, indoor track and were co-champions with JSU in baseball. In women's sports the Lady Jaguars were first in cross country, golf, and indoor track and tied with Alcorn in bas ketball. ? DERRICK MAHONE Barbara J Jacket of Prairie View A&M one of 17 stars inducted into SWAC Hall of Fame on May 28 , 1993 in New NOrleans, LA. (Photo by A J. Sisco) obtain COLLEGE, you can earn Armvp- dard my Reserve eJ*hstment 35-jw^ GI Bill. tg0rnery Musif, S^eeSSSSSs^Slst. one weekpn w r ^art'tiirie serin* Trainin^?nth plus wteks^ Th^S^?boutit lhen^k about us t Oaa And call: -800-USA-ARMy
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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June 24, 1993, edition 2
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