The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- November 8, 1999

Notes

Conferences: The Northeast-10 Conference has announced that it will expand to 15 institutions, beginning with the 2000-01 academic year. Commissioner Dave Brunk said the new members will be Franklin Pierce College, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, New Hampshire College, the College of Saint Rose and Southern Connecticut State University. The Northeast-10 Conference currently sponsors 15 championships. It will add football in fall 2000.

Sport sponsorship: Ashland University has announced that it will add women's golf and women's tennis to its athletics program, beginning with the 2000-01 academic year. This brings the school's offerings to 10 varsity sports for men and 10 for women. "This addresses our continuing efforts to upgrade our women's programs and respond to interests and abilities demonstrated by student-athletes who potentially will participate at Ashland University," said athletics director Bill Goldring. Ashland hopes to have coaches selected in both sports by January.

Milestones: Peggy Martin, Central Missouri State University, 800 career victories in women's volleyball. Martin is in her 24th season as a head coach, all at Central Missouri State. Her teams have won 17 consecutive Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association championships and have made 16 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship ... Tom Shoji, University of Southern Colorado, 300 career victories in women's volleyball. Shoji is in his sixth season at Southern Colorado. He is the younger brother of Dave Shoji, head women's volleyball coach at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.

Miscellaneous: Delta State University has announced that it is considering moving its program to Division I. "We seem to be developing a fan base of advocacy toward such a move," Delta State President David Potter said in an Associated Press story. In the article, Potter said he expects the study to be complete by the spring of 2000. The story said a possible reclassification to Division III also will be considered. Delta State is a member of the Gulf South Conference ... Junior James Rooths of Shepherd College set a Division II mark with his seventh career punt return for a touchdown. Booth's 85-yard runback against Concord College October 2 broke the previous record of six, which was set by Billy "White Shoes"

Johnson of Widener University in 1972 ... St. Cloud State University has unveiled a new version of its Husky mascot. A press release said the

new design "presents a mascot that is determined, contemporary and stylized. The design is also more in line with the changes other college and professional sports have made to keep their logos contemporary."

-- Compiled by David Pickle