Post by elp525 on Jul 8, 2011 4:35:47 GMT -5
July 7, 2011
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
THERE'VE BEEN whispers of late that the Maryland-West Virginia basketball series of yore might be restarted.
There is indeed a little fire to the smoke.
"We've talked about it," said WVU deputy athletic director Mike Parsons. "I don't know if you'd call it 'negotiating' or not, but we've talked. We'd like to get it started again."
It would make sense. The schools have a rich tradition of playing. The Mountaineers hold a 23-14 edge in a series that began in 1926. The last time the schools played was in 2004. That, however, was in the four-team BB&T Classic, played in Washington, D.C., and Morgantown.
Prior to that, the schools last played a home-and-home series in 1991 and '92. The word is Gary Williams, the Terrapin coach at the time, didn't care for ex-WVU coach Gale Catlett and pulled the plug on the series.
Whatever the case, it's a shame the two schools haven't been meeting. A loss to either program can't be considered "bad" and it's a nice, attractive regional matchup.
There are other neat angles. Billy Hahn, WVU's assistant to the head coach, was an assistant and associate head coach at Maryland from 1989-2001.
Anyway, Williams was said to be receptive to restarting the series with Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins now in place. Williams, though, retired and gave way to former Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon. Huggins knows "Turg" but the hunch from here is the fire around a restart isn't intense at this time. Which is a shame.
What is heating up, however, is an effort by Huggins to sew up a "four-team deal that's going to move around."
The Mountaineer coach wouldn't elaborate, other than to say Kentucky isn't involved. (When reached, by the way, Huggins was sitting by UK coach John Calipari and watching prospects. Huggins ribbed the Wildcat coach about being scared to play WVU. Calipari's reply: "Come to Rupp!")
Anyway, the "deal" is something WVU fans can anticipate hearing about in the future. Huggins said he's waiting to "get TV on board" before particulars can be announced.
nn
While on the subject of scheduling, I asked Parsons again about the reported possible 2012 matchup between the football Mountaineers and James Madison at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins.
The first report came out June 27. Since then? Crickets.
"Way premature," Parsons said of the report.
Just because it's called "premature," of course, doesn't mean it was incorrect. What I wondered is if public outcry of moving a home game with JMU to Washington is causing WVU officials pause. So I asked Parsons if the scenario might not take place.
"There's always a chance, sure," he said. "[The contract] is far from being done. It's not a done deal."
He was asked about negative feedback.
"Obviously we read a couple articles on it," Parsons said. "We got a couple emails, although I wouldn't say they were negative."
What he would say is "we certainly won't do it unless it's advantageous to our [athletic] department."
He confirmed a profit from a typical home football game is "$1.8 to 2 million." So a move would obviously have to clear that. But by how much?
The thought from here is WVU should hold out for at least $2.5 million or leave the game in Morgantown.
And even that figure tugs at me. I mean, the extra half mil might come in handy, but is it enough to ding all the hotels, restaurants, bars, etc., in the Morgantown area that lean on WVU home games? Would there be enough excitement around the game, enough national attention, to justify the hit to the community?
I understand WVU has to pay its bills (and its Danas), but this is one proposal I hope athletic director Oliver Luck and company carefully consider.
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
THERE'VE BEEN whispers of late that the Maryland-West Virginia basketball series of yore might be restarted.
There is indeed a little fire to the smoke.
"We've talked about it," said WVU deputy athletic director Mike Parsons. "I don't know if you'd call it 'negotiating' or not, but we've talked. We'd like to get it started again."
It would make sense. The schools have a rich tradition of playing. The Mountaineers hold a 23-14 edge in a series that began in 1926. The last time the schools played was in 2004. That, however, was in the four-team BB&T Classic, played in Washington, D.C., and Morgantown.
Prior to that, the schools last played a home-and-home series in 1991 and '92. The word is Gary Williams, the Terrapin coach at the time, didn't care for ex-WVU coach Gale Catlett and pulled the plug on the series.
Whatever the case, it's a shame the two schools haven't been meeting. A loss to either program can't be considered "bad" and it's a nice, attractive regional matchup.
There are other neat angles. Billy Hahn, WVU's assistant to the head coach, was an assistant and associate head coach at Maryland from 1989-2001.
Anyway, Williams was said to be receptive to restarting the series with Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins now in place. Williams, though, retired and gave way to former Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon. Huggins knows "Turg" but the hunch from here is the fire around a restart isn't intense at this time. Which is a shame.
What is heating up, however, is an effort by Huggins to sew up a "four-team deal that's going to move around."
The Mountaineer coach wouldn't elaborate, other than to say Kentucky isn't involved. (When reached, by the way, Huggins was sitting by UK coach John Calipari and watching prospects. Huggins ribbed the Wildcat coach about being scared to play WVU. Calipari's reply: "Come to Rupp!")
Anyway, the "deal" is something WVU fans can anticipate hearing about in the future. Huggins said he's waiting to "get TV on board" before particulars can be announced.
nn
While on the subject of scheduling, I asked Parsons again about the reported possible 2012 matchup between the football Mountaineers and James Madison at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins.
The first report came out June 27. Since then? Crickets.
"Way premature," Parsons said of the report.
Just because it's called "premature," of course, doesn't mean it was incorrect. What I wondered is if public outcry of moving a home game with JMU to Washington is causing WVU officials pause. So I asked Parsons if the scenario might not take place.
"There's always a chance, sure," he said. "[The contract] is far from being done. It's not a done deal."
He was asked about negative feedback.
"Obviously we read a couple articles on it," Parsons said. "We got a couple emails, although I wouldn't say they were negative."
What he would say is "we certainly won't do it unless it's advantageous to our [athletic] department."
He confirmed a profit from a typical home football game is "$1.8 to 2 million." So a move would obviously have to clear that. But by how much?
The thought from here is WVU should hold out for at least $2.5 million or leave the game in Morgantown.
And even that figure tugs at me. I mean, the extra half mil might come in handy, but is it enough to ding all the hotels, restaurants, bars, etc., in the Morgantown area that lean on WVU home games? Would there be enough excitement around the game, enough national attention, to justify the hit to the community?
I understand WVU has to pay its bills (and its Danas), but this is one proposal I hope athletic director Oliver Luck and company carefully consider.
