Serviog The Students Of The UniTersity of North Carolina at Asheville sinoe 1982
Volume IV, Number VII
Thursday .March 1,1984
NCAA by ’85-’86
CINCA jumps to Big South
By Dale McElrath
UNCA is moving up in
the world.
On Feb. 23, the UNCA
Board of Trustees una
nimously approved a
proposal by the athle
tic department to join
the newly formed Big
South Conference and
apply for NCAA Division
II status.
The Big South will
include: Augusta (Ga.)
College, Campbell, Arm
strong State (Ga.), Co
lumbus College (Ga.),
Radford (Va.), Coastal
Carohna and Winthrop.
USC-Spartanburg is
expected to announce
it's membership in
April.
The move will require
the addition of base
ball, golf and cross
country at UNCA for the
1984^85 season.
"The baseball team
will play at McCormick
Field and the golf team
will use one of the
courses around here,"
said UNCA Athletic
Director Ed Harris, "so
we won't have to build
facilities too soon."
Next year the men's
basketball team will
begin playing a sche
dule composed of 50
percent NCAA Division I
and II teams and 50
percent NAIA schools.
The women's team will
continue to compete on
the NAIA level because
there are currently no
programs for women in
the Big South.
"There's no women's
program at this time,
but there's a movement
in that direction,"
said Harris.
"Two or three of the
schools want to start
their women's program
on an equal basis,"
Harris said. "I think
there will be some
discussion’ of that in
our conference meeting
in May."
Until a decision is
reached, the women will
either remain in the
NAIA or move up to NCAA
Division II play.
The men will compete
within the NAIA during
1984- 85, but the Bull
dogs will also partici
pate in the Big South's
five conference champ
ionships in baseball,
soccer, cross, country,
tennis and golf next
year.
The Big South expects
all conference members
to achieve NCAA Divi
sion I status by
1985- 86.
Harris says that the
move to the Big South
is the right move at
t - :
11
ill:
this time.
"Our problems with
the independent divis
ion of District 26 con
tributed to the need tc
consider the move now,'
said Harris.
"Lenoir-Rhyne anc
Barber-Scotia are con
sidering joining con
ferences and are no
willing to play us nex
year. Gardner Webb alsi
has decided not to pla;
us next year," Harri
said.
The UNCA athleti
budget must expand 1
fill the needs of the
new programs.
The athletic budget
for this year is about
$200,000. Next year
this will increase to
$350,000 and the pro
jected budget for the
1985-86 school year is
$600,000.
To provide for this
increase, UNCA's stu
dent athletic fee will
go from $36 per se
mester this year to $47
per semester next year.
It is expected to in
crease to $50 per se
mester in 1985-86.
In addition to in
creasing fees, the
Athletic Department
will also attempt to
raise $100,000 through
a scholarship fund
raising drive.
.f-
I
Gubernatorial Gumption: Neither the ice, nor
snow, nor cold last Tuesda}'- could keep away five
of the seven Democrats running for governor of
North Carolina. Shown fielding questions in the
Owen Conference Center, they are, left to right:
Jimmy Green, Eddie Knox, James Ingram and Tom
Gilmore. Rufus Edmisten was present also. See
story on page seven.
Photo by David Plunkett
Highsmith
hospitalized
By Anna Paulette Witt
UNCA Chancellor,
Dr. William E. High
smith, is not receiving
visitors, but is doing
well following a mild
coronary incident Fri
day, according to Dr.
Alf Canon, Jr., direc
tor of university rela
tions.
Highsmith suffered
the attack about 1 p.m.
while lunching at the
Biltmore Country Club,
said his secretary,
Continued on page 12
$10,000 haul
Pensa ponders first purchase
Chip Pensa, left
Photo by David Plunkett
By David Proffitt
Chip Pensa has dis
covered a job that pays
$60,000 an hour.
The only problem is
scarcity of employers.
Pensa won $10,000
last Thursday night in
a contest sponsored by
Apple-Tree Chevrolet
during home basketball
games at UNCA.
To win, Pensa had to
make three successful
shots -- a layup, a
foul shot, and a shot
from half-court.
"The layup was the
hardest," said Pensa,
"because since it's the
easiest everyone ex
pects you to make it.
"The half-court shot
was just luck. I had
practiced it before and
never made it."
Apple-Tree Chevrolet
has sponsored similar
contests before, said
Krafton Locke, general
manager.'
"University officials
approached Apple-Tree
with the idea and we
accepted' it since it
was a community land of
thing.
Continued on page 12