ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 TAG: 9512130036
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
With its prospective deal for an attractive home-and-home football series with Auburn in 1996 and '97 dead, Virginia Tech is continuing its search for a fourth nonconference foe for next season.
And the Hokies' apparent alternatives are no Auburn.
Southwestern Louisiana (6-5), Louisiana Tech (5-6), Fresno State (5-7) and Northern Illinois (3-8) are among the potential candidates to visit Blacksburg in 1996 in a one-year, no-return deal, Tech associate athletic director Danny Monk said Tuesday.
While Monk said Tech has spoken with officials at higher-profile programs, such as Washington State and Clemson, it would be hard to believe either of those schools would be interested in anything short of a home-and-home deal.
Monk denied a report in this week's edition of The Hokie Huddler, which said the Hokies' 1996 schedule vacancy would be filled with Southwestern Louisiana, which is coached by former Tech assistant Nelson Stokley.
It's not a done deal, Monk said.
``Not quite ... we're still working with it,'' he said. ``There's a lot of people we're working with.''
Monk said no matter what happens, Tech will have seven home games in '96 for the first time since 1986.
Besides its seven Big East Conference opponents (four of which it plays at home), Tech also is scheduled to meet Akron (away), East Carolina (home) and Virginia (home) next season.
The '96 UVa-Tech game likely will be played the day after Thanksgiving to accommodate television. A CBS source said Tuesday the 'Hoos-Hokies matchup looked like a good fit for the network's schedule.
For the same reason as next season - Tech's honoring of Cincinnati's request to pull out of a '96-97 home-and-home agreement - the Hokies still are looking for '97 nonconference opponent. Tech's non-league foes for '97 are Virginia (away), Miami of Ohio (home) and Alabama-Birmingham (home).
In '98, Cincinnati (away) is slated to come back on Tech's non-league schedule with Virginia (home), East Carolina (home) and UAB (away).
In '99, Tech's non-conference menu includes Cincinnati (home), UAB (home), UVa (away) and an opponent to be determined.
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB