DATE: Tuesday, August 26, 1997              TAG: 9708260517

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ROBIN BRINKLEY

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   51 lines

VHSL PUTTING PLENTY OF FAITH IN NORFOLK SUPPORT

The Virginia High School League is banking part of its financial future on Norfolk, executive director Ken Tilley told the Norfolk Sports Club on Monday.

The VHSL, the governing body for high school sports in the state, receives about 50 percent of its $1.5 million operating budget from gate receipts of state playoff games.

Norfolk recently signed a two-year deal with the VHSL to host two Group AAA football championship games at Norfolk State in December, all four basketball championships in March at Scope and seven spring championships at Norfolk State and Old Dominion in the spring.

With that in mind Tilley appealed to the sports club for help in the areas of corporate sponsorship, program ad sales and ticket sales.

``Let's hope Hampton goes far in the playoffs,'' he said only half jokingly, mindful of the effect the Crabbers' Ronald Curry could have on ticket sales in football and basketball.

This marks the first time the VHSL has reached such a broad arrangement with one city and already there is talk of competition for Norfolk when the contracts expire after the 1998-99 seasons.

Tilley said several cities already have approached him informally about getting involved if the games are put up for bid.

``That's worked well for several states,'' he said.

On other topics:

Tilley said a VHSL committee is exploring raising academic eligibility standards statewide. One possibility is raising the minimum GPA to 2.0, as all five cities in South Hampton Roads have done or are in the process of doing. Another possibility would be to raise the number of subjects that must be faced from four to five or six.

Only a handful of schools districts outside of South Hampton Roads have adopted the 2.0 rule, Tilley said, mentioning Bristol, Alexandria and Gloucester.

Tilley also defended the VHSL against a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and a group of Suffolk families, who charged the organization with violating Title IX.

When Nansemond River and Lakeland moved to Group AAA last year several girls were forced to choose between sports that had been offered at different times of the year in Group AA.

``It's not an equity issue as much as it is a matter of choice (for the schools),'' Tilley said. ``The VHSL offers 12 championships each in boys and girls sports. We're proud of the fact that we have promoted boys and girls sports equally and hope to prove that in court.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Ken Tilley

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