
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, July 10, 1994                   TAG: 9407130059
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SOUTH BEND, IND.                                 LENGTH: Medium

NOTRE DAME DENIES IT'S JOINING BIG EAST

A Notre Dame spokesman Saturday disputed reports the Fighting Irish would join the Big East, though he said the school still was interested in joining a conference.

A Knight-Ridder story published Saturday quoted unidentified sources as saying Notre Dame would announce Monday that it was joining the Big East and would compete in all sports except football.

Notre Dame would join the conference in the summer of 1995, when Rutgers and West Virginia become full members, according to the Knight-Ridder story. Notre Dame has been a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, a non-football conference, in every sport but basketball.

Mike Enright, spokesman for Notre Dame, said he knew of no plans to join the Big East, nor was any announcement scheduled.

``I don't think it's a secret that we've been looking around, but there is no formative plans that I know of,'' Enright said.

If Notre Dame were to join a conference for the 1995-96 season, an announcement probably would be made before September, Enright said.

Notre Dame was rumored to be among the teams considered when the Big East expanded last spring. There also was speculation that DePaul might leave the Great Midwest, which it helped found, for the Big East.

Having Notre Dame and DePaul as members would give the Big East a solid presence in the Chicago media market.

But when the Big East decided to go with Rutgers and West Virginia, there was talk of Notre Dame joining the Great Midwest. Notre Dame already plays Great Midwest members DePaul and Marquette.

John Paquette, spokesman for the Big East, said he could not comment on the possibility of Notre Dame joining the Big East. But Paquette added that Big East officials already have passed up Notre Dame once.

``There was talk about Notre Dame or DePaul being included, but in March the presidents decided to take Rutgers and West Virginia, and that's all,'' he said.

Paquette refused to comment when asked if the Big East still was considering expanding.

The Big East comprises Villanova, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Providence, Boston College, Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Miami and St. John's. Temple and Virginia Tech play football in the conference but were rejected for full membership.

Temple's basketball team plays in the Atlantic Ten Conference, and Virginia Tech is in the Metro Conference for basketball.

by CNB