By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer The Times and Democrat | Posted: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 3:30 am
What looked like a full-speed effort toward holding the Legacy Bowl has apparently slowed down for now.
On Monday, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Commissioner Dennis Thomas said the conference's executive council is still involved in the vetting process on the viability of the joint venture with the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It now appears a final vote on whether to participate in the ESPN-sponsored postseason football game will not take place in the fall as Thomas previously indicated, but instead will be pushed to as late as March 2011.
The news comes six days after a teleconference with council members and a week after Thomas sent a response letter to South Carolina State University President George Cooper's letter asking questions about the proposed game. Thomas would not comment Monday on any issue addressed in his response letter.
The Times and Democrat obtained a copy of Thomas' letter to Cooper dated Aug. 23 in which the MEAC commissioner answered 10 questions from Cooper's letter sent three days earlier. Thomas referred to Cooper's letter as an "epistle."
In Thomas' response, he confirmed the $600,000 guaranteed payment the MEAC would receive and share among its members for sending the regular-season champion to face the SWAC champion on Dec. 17, 2011, in Atlanta.
Thomas also indicated the representing school at the Legacy Bowl would have to use portions of the guaranteed money to cover all team, band and cheerleader expenses, but that does not prohibit negotiating with other sponsors to offset costs.
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