Black Colleges May Join Division I-A

The athletic directors of four predominantly black universities said Thursday that they are prepared to seek Division I-A football membership if the NCAA reduces scholarships on the I-AA level.

Athletic directors from Grambling, Jackson State, Southern University and Florida A&M; oppose NCAA proposals that would reduce the number of football scholarships for Division I-AA football teams from 65 to 55 or as low as 45. They will be voted on at the NCAA convention in January.

Florida A&M; Athletic Director Walter Reed said the schools would go to the NCAA convention prepared if the reduction passes to immediately seek I-A football status, which has a maximum of 85 scholarships.

Reed said the schools already meet I-A requirements that they offer at least seven varsity sports each for men and women, average more than 17,000 in paid attendance for home games the past four years, and play at least 60% of games against Division I-A members.

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A former Florida football recruit who has been declared ineligible to play for Florida State this season told the NCAA he received cash and other improper payments in exchange for signing with Florida five years ago.

Gerald Owens, a defensive lineman who acknowledges he is unhappy with Florida officials because of their involvement in his eligibility fight, told an NCAA enforcement officer that Gator assistant Jerry (Red) Anderson gave him about $4,000 in cash.

Anderson, who coaches Florida’s defensive line, denied any wrongdoing.

Owens, who said then-Florida coach Galen Hall knew of the payments, is appealing an NCAA ruling that he can’t play for Florida State this season because his five-year athletic eligibility has expired.

Tennis

Third-seeded Kimiko Date of Japan beat Taiwan’s Wang Shi-ting, 6-4, 6-2, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Nichirei International women’s tournament at Tokyo.

Soccer

The heads of the governing bodies for international and European soccer will meet Monday to discuss the possibility of further sanctions against Olympique Marseille.

Marseille was stripped of its 1993 French League title by the French Football Federation, which barred the team’s former general manager, Jean-Pierre Bernes, indefinitely from the sport and suspended three players accused of match rigging.