The Battalion
Sports
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\&M prepares bid to host NCAA Regional
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TheTexas A&M Athletic Department has picked up
here the Aggie Baseball Team left off last weekend, at-
Rmpting to secure an NCAA Regional Tournament bid
|| follow the Aggies' first Big 12-title season.
I The application for schools bidding to host one of
thr eight NCAA Regionals is being prepared by Athlet
ic Director Wally Groff and Associate Athletic Director
Hr Business Penny King and is due Friday at the NCAA
[ational office.
One of the selection criteria is a minimum financial
larantee of $50,000, which is 75 percent of the esti-
ated net receipts as submitted on the school’s pro
sed budget to the NCAA. In other words, Texas A&M
ust estimate the number of tickets to be sold and af-
r all expenses are taken out of that gross figure, 75
^rcent of that net total must at least equal $50,000.
Groff said the University will easily eclipse the
0,000 minimum bid but that money is not necessar-
the bottom line in the NCAA’s selection decisions.
"Of course the bid is important, but there are so
fiany other factors the NCAA considers in its selection
rocess,” Groff said.
Other criteria set by the NCAA include the host
team’s won-lost record, its national ranking, the qual
ity of the facility, the availability of necessary accom
modations along with attendance history and geo
graphic location.
“We offer several things the NCAA is looking for in
a Regional Tournament host and are preparing a very
competitive bid,” Groff said.
Considering the NCAA’s criteria, the Aggies seem to
have an edge in the bidding war.
A&M set an all-time average home attendance mark
of 3,203, edging out the old record ot'3,187 set in 1989,
while drawing over 3,900 for home conference games.
The Aggies also drew three crowds inside Olsen Field
of more than 6,000, two of which were over 7,000, to set
the first, fourth and ninth places in single-game atten
dance history. A&M had never had more than one
6,000-fan crowd in a season before.
Another advantage for Texas A&M is the NCAA’s pref
erence to utilize the ent ire country for Regional Tourna
ment sites. With superior facilities and a higher ranking
(No. 10) thanTexasTech (No. 22), and consideringTexas’
horrid season, A&M becomes the apparent front-run
ner for a tournament location in a state which is usual
ly host to at least one Regional site. Head Coach Mark
Johnson said his team did its part in securing the bid
with the successful season it produced.
“Our role is having a good team and one that has a
chance to advance in the Regional and on to the World
Series,” Johnson said.
Groff said the reports made by visiting coaches, um
pires and NCAA Tournament directors critiquing Texas
A&M’s Regionals in 1989 and 1993 were outstanding
and will carry a lot of weight in the selection process.
But there are some financial risks involved for the
host university. If, for instance, the host team is elim
inated from the tournament in two games, the home
fans will likely not come out to the park for the rest
of the weekend.
“To meet your proposed (financial) objective, you
have to win at least one game, being around to play at
least three,” Groff said. “If you have a successful tour
nament and the fans turn out, the host team will get to
keep around 15 percent after all expenses are paid.”
Johnson acknowledges the risks of hosting the tourna
ment, but says it is till part of beurg an NCAA powerhouse.
“There’s definitely some gambles you take in hosting
a Regional,” Johnson said. “If you go two-and-out, the
fans aren’t going to show up anymore. But you have to
take some gambles. I gamble in recruiting that guys aren’t
going to sign pro contracts out of high school, it’s all part
of competing on the national level with the country’s top
programs—-you have to roll the dice sometimes.”
Even with the apparent risks of hosting an NCAA Re
gional Tournament, A&M officials agree the benefits
outweigh the possibilities of failure.
“We don’t make a lot of money, if any,” King said.
“The real benefit is for the team. They don’t have to
travel, it’s great for recruiting and it gives you an ad
vantage to get to the World Series.”
Johnson echoed King’s remarks.
“Obviously, playing at home is an advantage in it
self,” Johnson said. “It does get nullified a bit in the Re
gional Tournament when you consider the quality of
the teams. If they couldn't play on the road, they
wouldn’t be in the tournament.
“You really can’t count the advantage of hosting
the Regional in runs, you look at things like how the
teams hosting the tournament are, more times than
not, the ones going to Omaha (Neb., site of the Col
lege World Series).’’
NCAA Regional Tournament hosts will be an
nounced Monday, May 11, with the teams receiving
tournament bids being announced the following
Monday, May 18.
Vggie
Baseball
3riefs
from staff and wire reports
iggie Alley faces
NCAA challenges
I The parking lot behind the left field
wall of Olsen Field, known as Aggie Al
ley. where students are allowed by the
University to watch the game from
their cars while tailgating, may be
dpsedbythe NCAA if Texas A&M re-
deives a Regional Tournament bid.
The NCAA does not allow any al
coholic beverages to be served or
consumed on the
site of an NCAA
sporting event.
Texas A&M does
allow tailgating in
Aggie Alley be
cause it consid
ers it to be off
site, but while a
school is hosting
an event such as Groff
a Regional Tour
nament, the NCAA has the authority
to rule areas such as this lot to be on
site, and therefore dry.
Athletic Director Wally Groff and As
sociate Athletic director of Business
Penny King support the University’s
stance to allow the tailgating saying it
is a unique feature to A&M baseball
games bringing more fan support than
would otherwise be offered. They will
be discussing the issue this week with
the NCAA as they prepare to make a
bid to host a Regional.
Big 12 Tourney a
big task for A&M
With the Big 12 Tournament ap
proaching on May 14, Aggie Head Coach
Mark Johnson said he has no special
strategy for his No. 1-seeded team.
“There’s not much strategy in
volved in the tournament, except for
watching the pitchers’ inning totals,"
Johnson said. “The only real advan
tage you can give yourself is if you
have rested pitchers the deeper you
get into the tournament."
Johnson said he is still sticking by his
Johnson
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preseason prediction that the Big 12
Tournament is open for anyone to win.
“All of the teams are pretty equal in
talent,” he said. “I said before the sea
son started that it wouldn’t surprise me
if the sixth seed won the whole thing.
People ask me,
‘Who would I be
happy playing?’
and I look and see
Oklahoma or Okla
homa State —
you tell me.
“Being the
champion for the
regular season
proves more to
me than anything.
The tournament is just won by the
hottest team."
Tickets for the tournament can be
purchased by calling (405) 236-5000.
U
azucar
TOP 40
DANCE CLUB
Kuzmic’s monster
week gets notice
Junior third baseman Craig Kuzmic
was named Louisville Slugger National
Player of the Week by Collegiate Base
ball just two days
after setting the
Texas A&M single
season record for
home runs at 21.
Kuzmic hit
.563 (9-of-16) in
four games last
week with six ex
tra-base hits, five
of which were
home runs, and
11 RBI. He also extended his hitting
streak to 15 games with his ninth-in
ning triple against Baylor on Sunday.
Kuzmic eclipsed the home run record
Kuzmic
set in 1986 by Mike Scanlin on Satur
day with a pair of blasts in the Big 12
Championship clincher for the Aggies.
Sports passes no
good for Regional
In the event that Texas A&M is se
lected as host for an NCAA Regional
Tournament, ticket prices will increase
and students will not be able to obtain
them with their sports passes.
Athletic Director Wally Groff said Texas
A&M will keep with its former policy of
raising ticket prices $1 for post-season
play over the regular season prices.
The proposed prices being made
to the NCAA in the Aggies’ bid are
$50 for reserved seating passes to
the entire tournament, $8 for single
game reserved tickets and $6 for sin
gle game general admission tickets.
I
I admission!
[ 17 AND UP ADMITTED WITH [
,3, PROPER I.D.
A — — — —
M WEDNESDAY THRU
SA TURD A Y
f 7:00PM TIL 2:00 AM
FOR INFORMATION: 281-370-1706
*not good for special events
expires 6-30-98
14700 KUYKENDHAL
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77090
'■ r $2.00
admission
OFF»
If
If
I 17 and up admitted with proper i.d. I|
TUESDAY THRU SUNDAY |
LATE NIGHT TIL
5:00 AM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
FOR INFORMATION: 281-397-0057
*not good for special events
expires 6-30-98
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Student Specials
Monday
FREE POOL
Students over 21 w/valid A&M ID
minimum 1 drink purchase
Wednesday
Ladies Free Pool
6 p.m. to close
Drink Specials
$1.00 Well & $2.00 Call Drinks
every night til 9:00
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