Conferences: Trans America Athletic Conference Commissioner Bill Bibb has announced the addition of Belmont University as the league's 11th team, effective July 1, 2001. Belmont, which will begin competition in the TAAC in 2001-02, fields teams in each of the TAAC's 15 championship sports. Belmont joins Campbell University, the University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Georgia State University, Jacksonville State University; Jacksonville University, Mercer University; Samford University; Stetson University and Troy State University. "Belmont is an excellent institution with a tradition of athletics and academic achievement," said Bibb. "We are ecstatic that we have been invited to join the Trans America Athletic Conference," said Belmont President Robert C. Fisher. "This membership gives our student-athletes the opportunity to compete for Division I championships and aligns them in a competitive environment where they can be successful."

Milestones: Robert Morris College head football coach Joe Walton picked up his 100th career victory October 14 with a 17-13 win at the University of Dayton. Walton is now 47-18-1 as the Colonials' only head coach since the inception of the program in 1994. He was 53-57-1 as head coach of the NFL's New York Jets from 1983-89. ... Bowling Green State University volleyball coach Denise Van De Walle won her 150th Mid-American Conference match with a five-game win over Ohio University October 18. Van De Walle has been Bowling Green's head coach since 1983, the first year the MAC sponsored the sport of volleyball. Van De Walle is now 329-219 overall and 150-117 in MAC play. Her total of 329 overall victories is second among all MAC coaches.

Miscellaneous: A preliminary injunction sought by American University to permit its teams to participate in Colonial Athletic Association team championships during the 2000-01 academic year has been denied by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas F. Hogan. The court deferred to the CAA's interpretation and application of its own rules, and its right to discipline a member for violation of CAA rules. It also dismissed all claims against the CAA commissioner, but it did not rule on the CAA motion to dismiss the case completely. The CAA conducts championships in 18 sports with team championships in men's and women's soccer, field hockey, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, men's golf and baseball. Of those, American competes in all but baseball. Although team points will not accumulate, approximately 34 percent of American's student-athletes still are eligible to compete individually at CAA championships in men's and women's cross country, men's and women's swimming and diving, wrestling and men's and women's track and field. A conference member since 1984, American is one of three CAA institutions that will not be competing in team championships during the 2000-01 academic year. East Carolina University, which is moving to Conference USA, and the University of Richmond, which is leaving the CAA for the Atlantic 10 Conference, also are ineligible for team championships by virtue of their pending departures.

-- Compiled by Gary T. Brown