UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, April 11, 1996
5B
Kansas City keeps tournament
Big 12 representatives say basketball event will stay through 2000
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 Conference's decision to keep the men's conference basketball tournament in Kansas City until at least 2000 had no strings attached, Commissioner Steve Hatchell said.
Chief executive officers of the Big 12 institutions voted to keep the tournament in Kansas City.
Athletic directors had recommended that the tournament, which results in the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, be continued at Kemper Arena.
The officers also voted to hold the Big 12 women's tournament in Kansas City at least through 2000.
"I think we can stage two terrific tournaments there," Hatchell said on Tuesday, when the decision was announced. "It gives us a chance to plan and gives a chance for the city to do things they want to do."
Representatives of the Big 12 had earlier said the tournament would stay in Kansas City through 1998. Keeping the tournament has been a critical issue for the city, which lost the new conference's headquarters to Dallas.
"It's great news," said Kevin Gray, executive director of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission.
"Our feeling all along was that we needed to have a good showing for the office to maintain the tournament, knowing how competitive it is out there in today's marketplace."
The final Big Eight tournament this March drew a record total of more than 80,000 for the three-day event.
Hatchell said Kansas City officials had talked about expanding and repairing Kemper.
"The first two years were without any kind of strings, but we understand they are going to move ahead with these other words," he said. "It's not a demand we're putting on."
City officials are considering enlarging seating capacity at Kemper Arena and improving Municipal Auditorium, where the Big 12 will hold the women's tournament in conjunction with the men's tournament.
The 1997 women's tournament is contingent on $4 million in improvements at Municipal Auditorium. But the conference is not requiring
Kansas City to expand Kemper Arena beyond its seating capacity of 17,513 seats.
The City Council is scheduled to vote today on an ordinance that would appropriate $6 million to start the project at Kemper.
It will be the first time a vote has been taken to appropriate money for the project.
About $20 million is needed to enlarge Kemper by 2,000 seats, to a capacity of 19,700 seats, and to renovate Municipal.
"Hopefully, this will go along toward helping the Council do the right thing on Thursday," Gray said.
During the six-day men's and women's tournaments, 24 teams will play 22 games in Kansas City.
"We're optimistic it's going to happen. The improved Kemper will go a long way toward solidifying our ties to the Big 12."
Big 12 representatives also announced a ticket plan for the men's tournament that would divide the number of seats into 14 shares, where each of the 12 schools will receive an equal share.
The remaining two shares will go into a lottery for longtime buyers of tournament tickets.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce continues to study the feasibility of building a new arena downtown.
Virginia Tech players avoid indictment
Fruitless investigation ends rape case's criminal phase; $10 million civil suit remains
The Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. — A grand jury decided yesterday that there was insufficient evidence to indict two Virginia Tech football players accused of raping a woman in their dormitory room.
The finding was the result of a two-month state police investigation. The criminal aspect of the case is now closed. But Antonio Morrison and James Crawford remain defendants in a civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Roanoke by Christy Brzonka.
The state investigation, which was requested by attorney general James S. Gilmore III, drew
no conclusion about the players' guilt or innocence. Montgomery County Commonwealth's attorney presented the evidence from the investigation to the jurors.
The only charge that could have come out of the investigation was rape. The statute of limitations has expired on lesser charges such as sexual battery.
Brzonkala, who has requested that her name be used in news stories about the case, maintains that Morrison and Crawford raped her in September 1944 while another football player, Cornell Brown, watched. She reported the alleged rape to campus authorities the next semester.
Her civil lawsuit also contends that Virginia Tech sexually discriminated against her by giving favorable treatment to Morrison in university judicial proceedings because he was a valuable member of the football team.
A school panel found Morrison, who said whatever happened was consensual, guilty of sexual assault. The panel suspended him for two semesters, but the university charge later was reduced and the suspension vacated. Crawford was cleared of all university charges by the same panel. The school never charged Brown in the alleged attack, and he was not a subject of the criminal investigation.
The lawsuit seeks $10 million from Morrison and unspecified damages from the other players and the university. Morrison and Crawford are accused of rape, aggravated sexual battery and assault and battery in the lawsuit. All three players are accused of false imprisonment for allegedly confining Brzonkala on her will.
The case will be the first major test of the federal Violence Against Women Act, which was passed a week before Brzonkala visited the football players' suite on the third floor of an athletic dormitory at Virginia Tech on the night of the alleged attack.
Select Marlboro Cartons $12.39 Camel & Winston $12.39
*Prices not including tax
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy
Northwestern University Summer Session '96
For a free copy of the Summer Session '96 catalog, call 1-800-FINDS-NU or e-mail your request to summer@nwu.edu.
For More Info Call 843-9204 or 864-3002
$1 Drink Specials Everyday! 9th & Iowa·Hillcrest Shopping Center
ALL BIKES COME WITH FREE TUNE-UPS FOR LIFE!
916 MASS. ST. 841-6642
PERSONAL HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN CONFIDENTIAL ABORTION SERVICES
- Complete GYN Care • Pregnancy Testing
• Depo Provera & Norplant • Tubal Ligation
• Abortion / Tubal Ligation (1 procedure)
- Licensed Physicians/Caring Staff · Modern State Licensed Facility PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTH CARE TO WOMEN SINCE 1974
COMPREHENSIVE 345-1400
health for women OUTSIDBKC AREA
4401 W. 109th (I-435 & Roe)
Overland Park, KS
1-800-227-1918
TOLL FREE
EARN CASH ON THE SPOT
Return Donors - Extra Bucks New Donors earn $20 Today Up to $40 this week
New donors include anyone who hasn't donated since Nov.4
NABI Biomedical Center 816 W24th 749-5750
adidas days 10%-40% off every adidas product
Shoes, hats, t-shirts, sandals, shorts bags, socks, jackets & balls
√ Free pair of soccer socks with every soccer shoe purchase
√ Register to win a free pair of shoes
Extra Specials
√ adidas Samba Nubuck Reg. $50™ Sale$29™
√ adidas Santiago Bag Reg. $30™ Sale$19™
√ adidas Hats Reg.up to $20™ Sale$9™
√ adidas T-shirts Reg. $16™ Sale$9™
731 Mass. Est. 1947 843-4191
---