West Virginia University officials will study videotape and photographs to identify rowdy football fans who ignored pre-game pleas and set fires in the streets to celebrate the Mountaineers' 28-7 upset of No. 3 Virginia Tech Wednesday night.
"If there are students in the pictures, and I'm sure there will be, they'll be hearing from our student affairs office and will be disciplined accordingly," university spokeswoman Becky Lofstead said Thursday.
At least a dozen of approximately 90 fires set early Thursday were described as "sizable" by Monongalia County emergency officials. No one was seriously injured, and structural damage was confined to a few porches, said Sgt. Mike Lantz of the Morgantown Police Department.
"It's definitely out of hand," Lantz said. "We just can't continue like this every time we have a night game or a national game."
Inside the stadium, police used pepper spray on fans who tried to tear down the goal posts after West Virginia's victory. State Police and dozens of yellow-shirted security personnel surrounded the goal posts and kept fans at bay.
Student Brad Anderson said he was hit by the pepper spray when he ran down onto the field. "We can't breathe. We're hacking up our lungs, but it was worth it,"Anderson said.
Fans retaliated by throwing debris at the security officials.
One student was charged with battery on a police officer after punching an officer who was trying to take alcohol from him, Lantz said. About 20 other people were arrested on charges of setting fires, disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
Atlanta looks at hosting ACC championship game
ACC commissioner John Swofford said Thursday that Atlanta and five other cities already have "expressed a serious interest" in serving as the host to the league's new college football championship game.
In Atlanta for a luncheon to promote the Jan. 2, 2004 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl game, Swofford was still buzzing about the Oct. 12 announcement that Boston College has agreed to become the ACC's 12th member. That news came only four months after Miami and Virginia Tech announced they were leaving the Big East Conference to join the ACC for the 2004 football season.
When Boston College begins conference play, probably in 2006, the ACC definitely will split into two six-team divisions for football and then will stage a postseason conference championship game.
Bryant defense attorneys accused of leaking info
The legal battle in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case took a nasty turn Thursday, with prosecutors angrily accusing defense attorneys of leaking sealed details to the media.
In a court filing, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert asked a judge to consider punishing Bryant's defense team.
The prosecutor said retired state District Judge William Jones learned of sealed information from defense attorney Hal Haddon and gave it to a reporter for the New York Daily News, which ran a story quoting Jones on Oct. 11.
The details -- that another man's semen was found in underwear worn by Bryant's accuser -- had not yet been brought up in Bryant's preliminary hearing, which ended Oct. 15.
Georgia's DeScenza wins NCAA Swimmer of week
Georgia swimmer Mary DeScenza was named the CollegeSwimming.com NCAA Swimmer of the Week for Division I this week.
The sophomore from Naperville, Ill., has won two individual events in each of the three meets for the undefeated Lady Bulldogs this season.
Students win 8-ball tourney at Tate Center Wednesday
Thirty-three men and five women gathered together Wednesday to test their hand-eye-coordination in an 8-ball pool tournament at the Tate Student Center.
Dana Asp, a junior from Roswell, won the women's tournament and received a $30 gift certificate at the Georgia Square Mall.
Asp said she has been shooting pool competitively for two years.
Felipe Flores, a senior from Guadalajara, Mexico, won the men's tournament for the fifth time this semester and is racking-up gift certificates to the mall.
Sarah Woodall, the tournament coordinator, said that more and more men and women are coming to play at Tate.
"People are realizing that Tate is a good facility," she said. "You don't need to pay $6 an hour to play a game of pool like some other places."
Asp said she likes going to Tate because there always is some one willing to play.
Pool is just one source of healthy competition at Tate. There also are table tennis and air hockey tournaments in which students can get involved.
All tournaments begin at 6:30 p.m., and interested participants must sign up to play before 6 p.m.
"It's competitive, but not to the point where it's not fun," Woodall said. "People don't have to be professionals to come and play. Everyone is welcome."
--Associated Press, Margaret Fitch, Staff reports