Conferences: Florida Atlantic University has accepted an invitation of full membership into the Sun Belt Conference. The Owls will join the league in football in 2004, with all sports joining at a time to be determined. Florida Atlantic currently is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference and a Division I-AA independent in football with the intent to begin the process of reaching I-A football requirements in 2004. The school has an enrollment of 25,000 and sponsors 17 sports ... Florida Atlantic's announcement coincides with a Florida International University decision to move its two-year-old football program from Division I-AA to I-A in the Sun Belt. "Accepting the invitation to go I-A is the right thing to do for the team, for the fans and the university as a whole," said Florida International President Modesto A. Maidique. "I'm already looking forward to the 2004 season." Coach Don Strock, who has been the chief architect of Golden Panthers football since the program's approval in 2000, said the team is ready for this new challenge. "There are so many positive ramifications to this move," said Strock. "Every other sport at FIU is a member of the Sun Belt, and it's a natural for us to join the conference as a I-A team." For Florida International football to be a full-fledged
I-A program by 2006, a two-year transition phase will begin next fall. Under NCAA guidelines, Division I-A programs must comply with the following requirements: offer 200 full athletics scholarships (with 85 going to football), field 16 intercollegiate sports, average 15,000 attendance for its home games and play five home games against I-A opponents. "We will work hard to put people in the stands, establish an attractive schedule and make every home game an event," said Florida International Athletics Director Rick Mello. There are eight football members currently playing in the Sun Belt: Arkansas State University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of North Texas, New Mexico State University, Utah State University and the University of Idaho. Troy State University will be joining the Sun Belt next year, but New Mexico State and Utah State will be joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2005.

Facilities: Kent State University broke ground November 25 on a new $3 million varsity baseball field, which has been funded in part by the largest single gift to the university's athletics department. The lead gift of $1.53 million has been provided by the Schoonover family in honor of Harold A. (Hal) and Julia Schoonover of Akron, Ohio, who have been supporters of Kent State for more than 50 years. The new stadium will be known as Schoonover Stadium. "Our family is pleased to make this gift to Kent State University in order that our parents and the contributions they have made to the university will be remembered forever," said Steve Schoonover, who runs the Schoonover Foundation in Minden, Louisiana. "Their hearts and dedication have been with Kent State since the days after World War II when my dad was a catcher and letterman at KSU, and remains that way today. Our dad was the first Schoonover to ever have received a college education, and he set the example for all of us who have followed in his footsteps to college." Features of the new Schoonover Stadium, which will open in spring 2005, will include seating that will double the capacity of the current stadium to 1,148, with 200 new chairback seats; a landscaped plaza, public restroom building, picnic area and entrance gate with display area for memorabilia; field improvements, including new bullpens, backstop and outfield fence as well as an underground drainage and sprinkler system; field lighting, a state-of-the-art scoreboard and improved public address system; and a skybox for media and VIPs, along with camera bays adjacent to the dugouts and center field. Hal Schoonover lettered in baseball as a catcher at Kent State from 1947 to 1949, serving as team captain as a senior. He helped lead the 1948 team to a record of 12-7-1, which established a school record for wins that stood until 1959. In the late 1960s at the request of then-Kent State head coach Dick "Moose" Paskert, Schoonover taught a young Kent State outfielder named Thurman Munson to play catcher. Munson went on to become the American League Rookie of the Year in 1970 as a catcher and the AL MVP in 1976 ... The University of Texas, Pan American, has opened a new 2,500-square-foot strength and conditioning facility, featuring state-of-the-art equipment that will allow the Broncs and Lady Broncs teams access to the latest technology. "This is a major step forward for our athletics program," said William J. Weidner, Texas-Pan American director of athletics. "This new facility is yet another example of the outstanding commitment that the university has made to our athletics program and its future success." The equipment includes five multi-station racks on hardwood platforms. Each platform allows student-athletes to train in a variety of ways, and each station is self-contained. The facility also includes free weights, bench press stations and cardiovascular equipment. Previously, Texas-Pan American student-athletes used the same weight facilities available to the general student population. With the addition of a new facility exclusively for student-athletes, the original weight room is now more available for general student population use ... Former Georgia State University men's basketball coach Charles "Lefty" Driesell was the guest of honor December 12 when Georgia State University dedicated its new basketball court in his honor. Driesell, whose 786 wins rank fourth all-time among coaches who spent their entire career at the Division I level, came to Georgia State in 1997 and earned his 100th win at the school in last year's opener, becoming the only coach in NCAA history to win 100 games at four different schools.

Milestones: Lamar University men's basketball coach Billy Tubbs won his 600th career game as the Cardinals placed five players in double figures in defeating Texas Southern, 79-67, December 8. Tubbs, in his 29th year of coaching, became the 28th coach in NCAA Division I history to record 600 career wins. He has a 600-298 all-time record, which ranks him 10th among active Division I coaches and his 18 20-win seasons ties for seventh all-time. "I guess relief is the best feeling I have," said Tubbs on winning his 600th career game. "I don't dwell on that kind of stuff. I'm glad it's over so we can concentrate on the rest of the games." ... Gary Williams, head men's basketball coach at the University of Maryland, College Park, made his 300th win special when his Terrapins won at top-ranked University of Florida, 69-68, in overtime December 10. The win pushed Williams' career record at Maryland to 300-155 in 15 seasons ... Florida also was the victim of University of Louisville head men's coach Rick Pitino's 400th career win December 13 when the Cardinals beat the Gators, 73-65. Florida coach Billy Donovan played for Pitino at Providence College and worked as his assistant at the University of Kentucky from 1989 to 1994.

-- Compiled by Gary T. Brown