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News Nuggets, 09.03.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

ECU's "Total Access" expected to launch today

Staff Report
©2005 Bonesville.net

East Carolina's "Total Access" Internet multimedia service is expected to debut today. The new service on ECU's official athletics Website is to be launched in conjunction with other major site enhancements. The offerings of Total Access, a subscription service, will include streaming multimedia, real-time statistics and audio and video archives.

If technical issues delay ECU's launch of "Total Access," Bonesville.net and WNCT-AM Talk 1070 have been granted interim permission to provide streaming audio of Pirate Sports Radio Network broadcasts, including today's East Carolina-Duke games.

Check ecupirates.com for the latest status on the Total Access service and other impending new features. ECU officials have indicated that when the upgraded ecupirates.com site is launched, significant cosmetic and navigation changes will be apparent and a prominent graphical link will appear on the site's front page that will allow subscribers to log in to Total Access.

In any event, all of Talk 1070's game day coverage, including hours of pre-game and post-game programming, will be available over the Internet. Click the following link for the Talk 1070 live stream page:

<<< WNCT-AM TALK 1070 LIVE STREAM PAGE >>>

Uprooted Green Wave to "carry the torch"

Tulane football players now know what they'll be doing this fall — playing football.

University president Scott Cowen said Friday that the school in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans would field its team as well as operate other athletics programs even though classes won't be possible on the campus for the fall semester.

Students are being allowed to continue classes at hundreds of schools associated with ``nine of the leading higher education associations,'' Cowen said. That will allow the teams to compete.

Logistical details are still to be worked out for the Green Wave football team, which has set up temporary quarters in Dallas as guests of Southern Methodist University.

``We want our athletes to carry the torch, face, and name of Tulane University during this difficult time,'' Cowen said.

He said colleges and universities in Conference USA and outside the conference have offered to help with practice and playing facilities and general support.

``Although this is an extremely complex situation, we are confident we will be able to manage these sports programs throughout the season in a way which showcases the student-athletes and coaches and tells all the wonderful stories of Tulane University,'' league commissioner Britton Banowsky said.

The Green Wave's first game will be Sept. 17 against Mississippi State. It is yet to be determined whether the game, originally scheduled for New Orleans, will be played in Starkville, Miss., or at another venue.

But the players just want to play.

``We need this season,'' Wave quarterback Lester Ricard told in The Times-Picayune. ``I think that will be the ultimate joy, to see us do well this season.''

Linebacker Antonio Mason agreed.

``It's something that we want to do for New Orleans,'' he said. ``A lot of people look at us as not only reps of Tulane, but of New Orleans. People can look at us and say, `Wow, look at that team, they're going on the road, going through all that adversity, and still getting the job done.' ``

Storm-trapped sister of UCF player found safe

ORLANDO — The sister of Central Florida's Javid James, who was out of contact with her family for several days after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, was found to be safe in Tennessee.

Tahirah James, 18, had not been heard from since the storm made landfall Monday. The story received national exposure during Thursday night's UCF season opener at South Carolina, when James spoke to ESPN and pleaded for information on his sister's whereabouts.

After the game, his mother, Erine James, said she heard from Tahirah, who was in Tennessee and trying to return home to Orlando.

The James family moved from New Orleans to Orlando two weeks ago, but Tahirah James returned to the city last Saturday to celebrate her birthday. She was unable to evacuate before the storm devastated the region.

Javid James, a sophomore receiver, traveled with the team, but did not see any action in UCF's 24-15 loss to the Gamecocks.

Sun Belt evacuates New Orleans headquarters

The Sun Belt Conference is temporarily moving its offices from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

The conference's offices are located on the 23rd floor of the Pan American Life building, not far from the Superdome. Flooding in the area has made the building inaccessible, and it has also sustained some wind damage, commissioner Wright Waters said during a conference call Friday.

``We really don't know the status of our office now,'' he said.

Waters said the league office should be up and running by Wednesday.

``We have services to provide to the media, to the membership and to an awful lot of student athletes,'' he said.

The Sun Belt has eight Division I-A football members — Florida Atlantic, Florida International, North Texas, Troy, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State.

The University of New Orleans, Denver, South Alabama and Western Kentucky compete in the league in other sports.

Waters said the University of South Alabama, located in Mobile, sustained some damage from the hurricane but was expected to be operating soon.

``UNO is quite another thing,'' Waters said. ``They are right in the middle of an awful lot of the problems.''

UNO officials have relocated to LSU in Baton Rouge.

The Sun Belt's football champion plays in the New Orleans Bowl, which is scheduled for Dec. 20 at the Superdome.

``I'm 100 percent sure the game will played,'' Waters said. ``But I'm zero percent sure on where the game will be played.''

Memphis and Lafayette have expressed interest in hosting the game, he said.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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