[givemethemic]

I have been sick all day long so I was not able to go to the Press Conference but here is the article..

Liberty University Athletics Announces Partnership With TAP In Conjunction With Season-Opening Football Game

At a press conference held today in the Executive Dining Room of the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall, Liberty University announced that it is partnering with Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) in conjunction with the Flames’ season-opening football game.

The Flames’ season-opening football contest against St. Paul’s on August 31, 2006, will be called the Western Virginia Education Classic as part of the joint venture. Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. at Williams Stadium in the first-ever Thursday evening game played on Liberty’s campus.
Throughout its 40-year history, Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) in the Roanoke Valley has operated federal, state, and locally-funded programs in service of economically disadvantaged individuals and families within the Fifth Planning District in Southwest Virginia, including Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Rockbridge, and Roanoke Counties and the Cities of Roanoke, Salem, and Covington.

This Valley Works is TAP’s education and employment training component and began Project Recovery as a dropout retrieval program seven years ago in response to an alarmingly high dropout rate within the Roanoke City Public Schools system. Project Recovery is dedicated to locating youth who have dropped out of school and, through the counseling of dropouts and their families, encourage the students to reenroll in the school system (either in a traditional or alternative school setting), participate in job-related learning, or gain unsubsidized employment. Since its inception, Project Recovery has assisted 518 youth in returning to educational pursuits.

The Liberty-St. Paul’s game will officially mark the beginning of the “Rocco Era” at Liberty University as first-year head football coach Danny Rocco will take to the field for the first time since being named the program’s seventh head coach on December 2, 2005.
The Flames will host a total of six home games this season, including match-ups with perennial Top 25 power William & Mary, conference foes Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern and Southern Conference opponent Western Carolina

[Sly Fox]

Did anyone mention any television possibilities with this Thursday date?

[thesportscritic]

GMTM I hope you feel better soon.

[givemethemic]

Thanks Critic.. I felt like I got ran over by a Mack Truck today!!!!

[Libertine]

In years past, this game has typically been played in Roanoke's Victory Stadium between two HBCUs. I'm glad we're involved this year and, in the future, I hope we can keep this game at Williams even if LU isn't necessarily playing in it.

[bigsmooth]

yeah, this game was usually a DII matchup with two schools form the CIAA. st. pauls actually played in it last year. the game was always a success in raising money for TAP, which has helped disadvantaged people in SW virginia. after victory stadium was deemed not safe, the game was doomed, but now they will play two games. on in lynchburg, and one at ferrum college, with shenandoah university playing ferrum college, so despite the stadium issues it looks like TAP should be in even better shape now with fund-raising. BTW victory stadium is being torn down in the next few weeks.

[Libertine]

BTW victory stadium is being torn down in the next few weeks.

Not trying to hijack the thread here but good riddance. The fight over that place got waaaay too heated.

[bigsmooth]

no doubt. that place was a dump when i grew up in roanoke many years ago.

[BJWilliams]

BTW victory stadium is being torn down in the next few weeks.

Not trying to hijack the thread here but good riddance. The fight over that place got waaaay too heated.

I went there once for Hargrave-Roanoke Catholic (I was a student manager for the varsity football team) that place was quite the ugly place to have a football game (and it didn't help that it was like 20 some degrees that night)