The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- August 30, 1999

Notes

Conferences: The California Collegiate Athletic Association has agreed to accept the University of California, San Diego, as a full-time member beginning in the 2000-01 academic year. UC San Diego, currently a Division III independent, has been an allied member of the CCAA in cross country and track and field since 1991. It began its reclassification period for Division II status in June 1998. The Tritons will compete for league championships in all 13 CCAA-sponsored sports.

Facilities: For the first time in the long history of the Livingstone College football program, games will be played under the lights in 1999. Livingstone, which in 1892 participated in the first football game between black colleges, is lighting Alumni Stadium as part of a program to improve lighting, heating and plumbing on campus. President Burnett Joiner said the lights also are part of an effort to bring the community back to the campus. "The night games will also provide people who work during the day on Saturdays an opportunity to come out and support the Blue Bear football program," Joiner said. The first game under lights will be September 18 against Virginia Union University.

Miscellaneous: Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reported that Northern Kentucky University is considering a move from Division II to Division I. The university reportedly has retained a consultant to study the impacts of the move and also soon will conduct a $125,000 feasibility study for a new arena. Northern Kentucky reached the finals of the Division II Men's Basketball Championship in 1996 and 1997. The Northern Kentucky women's team reached the national semifinals in 1999 ... The Omaha World-Herald reported that the University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University and the University of Northern Colorado met August 10 with the Big Sky Conference to discuss the ramifications of moving their programs to Division I-AA. Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton told The Associated Press the talks were not meant to encourage or discourage the schools from considering the change but to inform them of what would be involved if they chose to change divisions. "I think they're looking at it as an educational meeting, just to understand what I-AA would entail," North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner Michael J. Marcil told the Omaha World-Herald. "But I do know that literally that's something some of the institutions have considered as long as 20 years ago. Periodically, several institutions around Division II will look at I-AA, but hopefully in the end they will see what we have here is tough to beat." ... Saint Leo College has announced that it has changed its mascot from the Monarchs to the Lions. A new logo will be a contemporary Lion's head over the word "Lions." The school's colors will remain green and gold.

-- Compiled by David Pickle