Schedule Switch Will Give Idaho A Boost

The University of Idaho’s chances of drawing 17,000 football fans in 1999, a prerequisite to solidifying its Division I-A status, are getting better.

Idaho’s inaugural schedule in Washington State University’s Martin Stadium has been altered. Unappetizing Arkansas State was moved from Martin Stadium to Bubbaland, evening UI’s Big West road and home games at three each.

The Vandals’ home dates are against Washington State plus Big West foes Boise State, Utah State and North Texas.

Let’s do the math. WSU maybe draws 31,000; Boise State 16,000; Utah State 13,000; North Texas (gotta make this one homecoming), 14,000. That averages out at 18,500.

If Idaho reaches the attendance goal, it will be I-A for 4 years. After that, UI again will have to draw 17,000 once in the following 4 years, or meet other attendance provisions.

By then, Idaho could be back in an enlarged Kibbie Dome - with a possible west-end expansion bumping capacity from 16,000 to 23,000 - or there are distant rumblings of a new open-air stadium seating 30,000 that would solve the I-A dilemma permanently.

I’ll believe the latter when I see it. I can fathom the former.

The schedule jockeying means Idaho will visit Arkansas State in both 1998 and ‘99. In return, Arkansas State will cover some of UI’s expenses.

Don’t be surprised if Montana, Kansas State and Iowa appear on future Idaho schedules.

Panhandling

Let’s hope Idaho is conducting its interviews for an athletic director better than it contacted candidates. Montana State A.D. Chuck Lindemenn received a nomination letter from UI that butchered his last name. (Sorry, Idaho, no r’s or a’s.)

And the envelope had a Billings address for the Bozeman-based Lindemenn. He declined to apply.

So who is going to get the job? Hmm. Colorado State assistant A.D. Mike Bohn was marketing director for the defunct College Football Association, and Idaho must put 17,000 fannies in Martin Stadium in 1999.

Bohn’s leading in my clubhouse.

Came across Coeur d’Alene High grad Rod Broach at a Spokane store the other day. I covered Broach at the State track meet in 1990. He was leading the 300 meters before tripping over the last hurdle. He got up and finished sixth.

I’m still waiting to meet an athlete who handled an unfortunate circumstance better. Broach, incidentally, is a 1-handicap golfer.

Best line of basketball season came from North Idaho College women’s coach Greg Crimp. Explaining a call to Crimp, official Chuck Filippini said, “It was a no-brainer.” Crimp didn’t miss a beat. “Then it should have been easy for you!” … Runner-up goes to the official who thumbed NIC center Eihab Al-Arorey after the Kuwait native made a curious gesture. “The official told me, ‘He flipped me off in Arabic; I know the language,’ ” NIC coach Hugh Watson said.

Yes, the official was serious.

Lewiston boys basketball coach Dick Richel makes a good point. If not for the new Border League, Lewiston would have won the Inland Empire League with a 7-1 record and played host to the Region I Tournament. Instead, Coeur d’Alene, 6-2 versus Idaho schools, made a successful run for the Border title.

Richel told the Lewiston Tribune he voted against the Border League arrangement “because I thought something like this might happen.”

He might have thought it, but he didn’t say it. Richel and Lewiston administrators skipped numerous Border League organizational meetings, so his gripes don’t carry much weight.

Coach of the year in the Border League went to Wade Quesnell of Post Falls. No argument here. But Coeur d’Alene coach Larry Bieber receiving nary a vote?!?! He didn’t reinvent the pick-and-roll, but he competently guided the league’s most talented team to a title despite twin towers Casey Hoorelbeke and Lukas O’Dowd missing time because of injuries.

Grad school

Jana Nearing, Bonners Ferry High and NIC graduate, saw her promising season at Phillips University (Enid, Okla.) end too soon after having knee surgery two weeks ago. In 18 games, the junior forward averaged nearly 10 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Phillips (22-5) is No. 3 in the NAIA poll, but expects to move into the top spot after routing No. 1 Southern Nazarene last week.

Front row

Best viewing bet this week? Take a road trip to the state tourney in Nampa to see if Coeur d’Alene can win the first A-1 crown by a North Idaho team since - egads - the 1973 Viks and coach Dean Lundblad. If the car’s low on gas, watch the home debut of NIC’s new women’s softball program against Walla Walla Thursday at 2.

Rumor de jour

The Floyd-Eustachy-Davis carrousel apparently is in full swirl. The latest: Tim Floyd to Arizona State, Larry Eustachy to Iowa State, Kermit Davis to Utah State.

If that doesn’t pan out, Davis is said to be hedging after initially spurning San Jose State. Davis hedging? What a shock.

, DataTimes