The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

October 12, 1997

When does a football game become an exercise in endurance? The players from Bethune-Cookman College and Virginia State University may have an answer: 4 hours and 50 minutes.

That was how long it took Bethune-Cookman to prevail in this eight-overtime contest, 63-57, on September 26.

The eight overtimes put the game in the records book for most overtimes in an NCAA Division I-AA football contest, eclipsing the old mark of six set in three previous games: Florida A&M University 59, Hampton University 58 (1996); University of Rhode Island 58, University of Maine, Orono, 55 (1982); and Villanova University 41, University of Connecticut 35 (1989).

And according to James F. Wright, NCAA director of statistics, while the Association does not keep a record on times, the time taken to play the Bethune-Cookman-Virginia State game is believed to be the longest.

"I've never been in a game like this," Bethune-Cookman coach Alvin Wyatt told the Tampa Tribune, "And I never want to be in another."

Bethune-Cookman jumped out to a 26-0 lead in the first half, but five fumbles in the third quarter led to 30 unanswered points from Virginia State.

The victory gave Bethune-Cookman its best start (3-0) since 1978.

Sour note after big win

Just nine days after Prairie View A&M's football team broke an NCAA-record 80-game losing streak with a 14-12 victory over NAIA opponent Langston, the entire athletics program was suspended by the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The suspension means that no team from the SWAC will be permitted to play Prairie View again in any sport until the ban is lifted. Sports immediately affected are football, volleyball, track and bowling.

Prairie View has appealed the suspension.

The suspension stems from an incident September 19 when the bands for Prairie View and Southern University, Baton Rouge, became enmeshed in a brawl as they exchanged field possession for performances during half time of the football game between the teams.

Damage to instruments and uniforms was estimated to be thousands of dollars, and several students from both schools suffered minor injuries when trombones and drum sticks became weapons.

The SWAC suspended both bands for two games, so the Prairie View band was not on hand when the football team snapped the losing streak the next week against Langston.

However, the Prairie View band played at the October 3 game against Grambling State University, violating the suspension.

Prairie View vice-president Larry Raab said the school would have had to forfeit $80,000 to Grambling if the band didn't perform.

The SWAC was willing to let Prairie View's band play if the school met several conditions. Those conditions were: banning the band from its October 10 game; setting up a dialogue with Southern regarding safety and security; retracting a letter Prairie View's president sent to school administrators directing them to never again play Southern and telling them that Prairie View would forfeit all contests scheduled against Southern; and the Prairie View president and his staff attending the 1998 SWAC winter meetings.

SWAC Commissioner Rudy Washington said Prairie View chose not to accept the four conditions, meaning the suspension remained for the October 3 game in which the band played.

"Because of this we had no alternative but to assess this severe penalty," Washington said.

--Compiled by Kay Hawes

Looking back

5 years ago: NCAA legislation, gender equity and student-athlete welfare are among topics to be discussed at the National Association of Basketball Coaches summit October 18-20 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The goal of the summit is to bring together the many constituent groups of basketball for the opportunity to debate the game's prominent issues. Recent NCAA legislation aimed at cutting costs has had a major impact on the sport, coaches say, and the restricted-coaches designation, scholarship cuts and gender-equity issues continue to cause serious concern among the NABC membership. James A. Haney, NABC executive director, said the summit will allow the association more time to identify and discuss legislation it wishes to propose at future NCAA Conventions. (The NCAA News, October 11, 1993)

10 years ago: The Association's 1988-89 general operating budget shows a 3.3 percent increase over the $79,425,000 approved by the Executive Committee for 1987-88. A new budget category -- grants to conferences, which was included in Division I men's basketball distribution in the 1987-88 budget -- totals $3,520,000, or 4.3 percent of the budget. Distribution of payments from the Division I Men's Basketball Championship is estimated at $32,140,800, a 3.1 percent increase from 1987-88. (The NCAA News, October 10, 1988)

15 years ago: The NCAA Insurance Committee nears completion on two years of study regarding the creation of a catastrophic injury insurance program. Scheduled for implementation in 1984-85, the program will allow NCAA member institutions to provide medical coverage to student-athletes who suffer disabling injuries. The program is designed to take effect after other insurance benefits have been exhausted. Once that point is reached and a deductible amount is paid, the student-athlete's family will begin receiving help almost immediately, rather than experiencing the long delays that can occur with court cases. (The NCAA News, October 3, 1983)