The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

April 20, 1997

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville -- capitalizing on its Lady Volunteers' third consecutive Division I Women's Basketball Championship title, a 39-0 record and a season that included an HBO documentary; a Sports Illustrated cover story; and the release of coach Pat Summitt's book, "Reach for the Summit" -- has launched a merchandising campaign unlike any other in women's sports.

Its newly licensed logo hints at the mission: "Lady Volunteers, America's Team." Adidas and Starter are among the companies that have been licensed to sell the "America's Team" merchandise.

"It's an incredibly exciting time for us," Tennessee women's athletics director Joan C. Cronan recently told The Associated Press. "I want to be sure that we take advantage of it tastefully and we also take advantage of it for the world to see that women's athletics have arrived."

The Lady Vols averaged more than 14,000 fans a game this year, an average attendance that beats six National Basketball Association teams. Ticket sales for the Vols generated more than $1 million in revenue, enough to cover the program's costs for the first time.

Bacon & Co. of Knoxville has been printing Lady Vols T-shirts and other licensed memorabilia since Tennessee's first title in 1987. The first year the company printed only 12 dozen shirts. "Six dozen we sold back to the athletics department, and they sold half of it," recalled Bacon vice-president Jed Dance. "And we barely sold the rest."

Bacon & Co. now has a catalog of 40 to 45 Lady Vols items, from hats and jerseys to Christmas ornaments and mugs. "In the past three years, the runs have gotten bigger and bigger," Dance said. "The demand has been unbelievable."

Dance thinks the new "America's Team" logo could carry Lady Vols merchandise to other parts of the country. Cory Moss, an official with the Atlanta-based College Licensing Co., agrees. "I think they are becoming much more national," he said. College Licensing represents Tennessee and about 150 other institutions.

While Moss didn't have a specific breakdown of the jump in sales of Lady Vols merchandise, he said the increase has been significant.

"I can almost guarantee that the number has doubled, tripled, maybe even quadrupled from the amount of merchandise that those companies were producing a year ago," Moss said, "probably 10 times what they were producing two years ago."

Lady Vols merchandise took a quantum leap in October when Knoxville-based Goody's Family Clothing agreed to create Lady Vols sections in 46 stores across Tennessee. Moss said that was the first deal of its kind for a major sponsor of a women's collegiate program.

Another first came April 13, when 40,000 "Smoky" (the Vols' mascot) dolls outfitted in Lady Vols championship T-shirts arrived at Wendy's hamburger stores across Tennessee.

Even the post office is involved. Negotiations are under way with the U.S. Postal Service for a Lady Vols commemorative envelope.

Double duty

Kent State University senior Shannon Gallagher recently became the first female athlete from the Mid-American Conference to win MAC championships in two different individual sports -- track and gymnastics.

Gallagher recently took home the MAC pole vault title. She won the MAC balance beam title in 1994.

Gallagher also recently became the first female athlete from the MAC to participate in the NCAA championships in two sports.

Gallagher finished in 10th place at the first-ever women's pole vault championship last month, clearing 11 feet, 73/4 inches, at the Division I Women's Indoor Track Championships. In 1996, she finished 32nd in the all-around competition at the National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships.

She also holds Kent records in both the pole vault (12-11/2) and the balance beam (10.000).

Cellar-dwellers no more

The Keene State College men's basketball team got to do a little more cheering this year.

The Owls, who moved from Division II to Division III this season, finished with a 21-9 record -- an improvement of 19 victories from their 2-22 mark the previous year.

Keene State had the biggest turnaround of any four-year school in the country according to a list compiled by Rich Rosenthal, the sports information director at Southern Oregon University.

--Compiled by Kay Hawes

Division I & II notes

Division II notes

Sports sponsorship: Pfeiffer University will add golf as its ninth varsity sport for women, effective in 1998-99. The team will play at the Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point, which also is the site of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's golf championships.

Northwest Missouri State University will sponsor women's soccer as a varsity sport beginning in 1999. The school, which currently has a club team, will begin offering scholarships and join other Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association members in women's soccer competition in 2000.

Milestones: Coaches -- Rita Higginbotham, Mississippi University for Women, 400 victories in women's softball ... Teri Mariani, Portland State University, 500 victories in women's softball.

Miscellaneous: The No. 1-ranked Kennesaw State University baseball team tied the Division II record for consecutive victories with 30 before losing April 4 in the first game of a Peach Belt Athletic Conference double-header at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Armstrong Atlantic established the record in 1990. Kennesaw State rebounded to win the nightcap, then won again the next day to claim the series. During the streak, Kennesaw State's Nathan Cothran broke school career records in hits (previously 229), runs scored (151) and runs batted in (150).

-- Compiled by Jack L. Copeland

Division I notes

Sports sponsorship: The athletic board at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is considering a proposal from its planning and equity committee to add women's ice hockey to the Badger athletics program, effective with the 1999-2000 academic year. The board considered the recommendation at its April 17 meeting. If the addition of the sport is approved, a coach would be hired this summer. With women's ice hockey, 12 of Wisconsin's 21 varsity programs would be women's sports. "The department is demonstrating its commitment to meeting the interest and abilities of its female students by continuing its history of program expansion for women," said planning and equity committee chair Dennis Dresang. Other recent additions to the Wisconsin women's program include women's softball in 1995 and lightweight rowing in 1996. The home for the team will being either Kohl Center or Coliseum.