ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 13, 1996 TAG: 9601140004
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
To think, Virginia Tech felt all the weather-related problems it would face as a new member of the Atlantic 10 Conference would occur on the road.
Forget about later trips to such noted snow bins and ice houses as Olean, N.Y., Kingston, R.I., and Philadelphia. Because right now, the Hokies can't even get into their own house in Blacksburg.
Coach Bill Foster's 15th-ranked Hokies learned Friday that their next two home games - today against La Salle and Monday against George Washington - have been moved out of Blacksburg due to a leaking roof at Cassell Coliseum.
Today's game with La Salle has been shifted to Radford University's Dedmon Center. Tipoff has been switched from 1 p.m to noon.
The Hokies' game Monday with GW has been moved to the Roanoke Civic Center. Game time for the nationally televised game (ESPN2) remains 9:37 p.m.
Also, Tech's women's team, scheduled to play its A-10 home opener with GW today at 4 p.m. at Cassell, will be packing its bags. The game will be played tonight at 7 at GW's Smith Center in Washington, D.C. The second regular-season game between the two clubs, slated for Feb.27 in Washington, will be played at Tech.
Tech officials decided Friday to move today's games out of Cassell because of safety concerns. The roof of the 35-year-old building is under heavy pressure because of the weight of excessive snow and ice left from a pair of snowstorms the past week.
The coliseum floor has been off-limits since last weekend's storm dropped 3 feet of snow in Blacksburg.
``Everytime you go out there you see some kind of debris and dust that has fallen,'' said Foster, whose club has been forced to conduct its practices the past week in an auxiliary gym.
Foster and his players must be beginning to wonder if they ever will play another game in their Cassell, where they have won 12 straight dating to last season. Tech hasn't played on its home court since beating West Virginia 68-62 on Dec.18.
The Hokies were scheduled to play Wright State in Blacksburg on Dec.31, but Tech officials moved that game to New Orleans to coincide with the appearance of the school's football team in the Sugar Bowl.
Tech's next scheduled Cassell appearance, last Sunday's original A-10 opener against St. Joseph's, was then wiped out by snow. That game has been rescheduled for Jan.29 at 7:30 p.m. at Cassell.
Now, counting Friday's moves, it means that four straight Tech dates at Cassell either will have been switched to a ``neutral'' site or been postponed. When it's done with GW on Monday, Tech will have played 11 games - three at home, two on the road and six at neutral sites.
``Just call us the nomads,'' Foster said. ``It appears we're going to end up setting a school record for least home games played.''
Foster said he would have rather flip-flopped the sites of Tech's two dates with GW - the clubs are scheduled to play again on Jan.25 in Washington - rather than give up the Cassell edge for a neutral-court game in Roanoke.
A-10 officials, according to a Tech source, refused the Hokies' request to flip-flop dates and sites with GW.
Foster said his concern now is that his club's next Cassell date - Thursday against Dayton - will remain intact.
``Hopefully, all that snow and ice will be off the roof by then,'' Foster said. ``That one is sort of optional right now. No decision will be made on that until Monday, I guess.
``All this is pretty wild, really. Here, we were worried about going to all the other places in this league and now the trouble is coming in our backyard. We'll just have to roll with the punches, I guess.''
The seating for today's game at Radford will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. All season and single-game tickets that have been purchased will be honored. Tech students will be admitted by showing their school ID. Dedmon seats 4,200, but 4,900 fans will be admitted. Tech officials warned that Hokie season-ticket holders will not be admitted after the arena capacity has been reached. Any ticket-holders who do not wish to attend today's game can receive a refund through Jan.31. ... Monday's game also will be festival seating with one exception - season-ticket holders will get the choice seats below the portals on each side of the court. Student pickup for the GW game will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at Cassell. General admission tickets ($10) may be bought at Cassell and the civic center box office, starting at 9 a.m. Monday.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/Staff. The middle of the Cassell Coliseum floorby CNBwas covered with plastic Friday to prevent water damage from a leaky
roof. color.