Anger in Athens Brought NCAA to Indian Wells : Tennis: Incident involving USC Coach Dick Leach and son Rick in 1987 led to westward movement of event.

An ugly incident in 1987 prompted the NCAA to eventually move its championship tennis tournament from the University of Georgia in Athens to a neutral site this year.

The tournament was held at Henry Feild Stadium on the Georgia campus in Athens, Ga., for 13 consecutive years because of the quality conditions of the university’s tennis complex and the crowds of 5,000 to 6,000 that attended the 10-day event.

Athens exuded tradition. The tournament was more like a festival.

This year the tournament, which concludes today, is being held at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. Here, there may be less tradition, but also there is also no home-court advantage.

The tournament would probably still be in Georgia had it not been for an altercation among USC tennis Coach Dick Leach, his son Rick, and Bulldog fans who like to bark and yell “Choke!” at opponents at strategic times during play.

Since 1977, when the tournament went to a team format, USC had lost to Georgia five times at Athens. This year at Grand Champions, the Trojans beat Georgia in the quarterfinals.

After top-ranked and undefeated USC lost in the semifinals to Georgia in 1987, Leach took on the project of moving the tournament. In that defeat, Leach watched as his team came unglued as Georgia fans barked and yelled. Georgia went on to win the tournament.

Leach’s mood worsened when his son lost to Furman’s Ned Caswell during the individual singles tournament. As Dick and Rick Leach tried to leave the complex, the crowd heckled them. Rick, who had won numerous sportsmanship awards, exchanged words with Georgia player Tim Ruototlo. Rick pushed Ruototlo, and Dick pulled his son away. But the words didn’t stop, especially from Dick Leach.

When Dick reached a nearby parking lot, he proclaimed, “All Southerners can go to hell.”

A fan replied, “Same to you.”

Rick Leach knocked over a newspaper vending machine and climbed onto a fan’s car, yelling threats.

Dick Leach and several other coaches complained to the NCAA about the home-court advantage, and the NCAA, after a survey of coaches and players, moved the tournament to Grand Champions.

Officials at the Grand Champion Resorts guaranteed the NCAA more than $100,000 to win the bid.

To break even, the tournament needs to draw 3,000 daily. This tournament has drawn an average of 1,400. Still, Steve Simon of the Grand Champions Resort said he plans to bid for the 1991 tournament against Georgia. The NCAA’s decision is expected in mid-August.