LYNCHBURG—Liberty University is expanding and upgrading its football stadium and basketball facility. Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said Friday that 18,000 seats will be added to Williams Football Stadium, increasing its capacity to 30,000. The Vines Center’s capacity will be increased to 11,000 with the addition of a 3,000-seat balcony.

St. Paul’s of Virginia canceled its 2009 season opener against West Virginia Wesleyan because it doesn’t have helmets or football pads.

Even though Virginia Union will begin this football season with its third coach in three seasons, the Panthers hardly seem distracted. Two weeks ago, the Panthers put in a hard day of drills without complaint. The offense appeared to click and the defense looked steady. That’s good news for first-year coach Michael Bailey. Bailey, who doubles as the school’s athletic director, is hoping all the hard work pays off when the Panthers open what they hope will be a season of redemption at 7 tonight at Hovey Field against East Stroudsburg.

BLACKSBURG—As expected, Virginia Tech’s season-opening game against Alabama will be a meeting of top-10 teams—at least according to the USA Today coaches’ poll. The Top 25 poll, released yesterday, ranks Alabama fifth and Tech seventh. Both teams almost certainly will be ranked in the top 10 of the upcoming Associated Press Top 25, adding some juice to an already much-anticipated meeting, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, and nationally televised on ABC.

On Nov. 6, 1869, Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 in a game considered the nation’s first intercollegiate football match. The nation has been deprived ever since. College football, you see, lacks an official championship—or at least a championship applauded by the scholars who follow the sport and paint their faces with the school’s colors. For many decades, polls—one of sportswriters, the other of coaches—ranked the teams and named mythical champs. Usually the polls agreed; sometimes they differed. The polls were imperfect, as the voters simply could not be knowledgeable about every squad. Regional chauvinism likely affected the balloting, too.

CHARLOTTESVILLE The man who coached Vic Hall at Gretna High keeps up with his former pupil, but Rob Senseney did not travel to Blacksburg for last year’s Virginia Tech-University of Virginia football game.

college football CHARLOTTESVILLE Every time he turned around, Jeffrey Fitzgerald got a hug or a handshake - or both - from former teammates and coaches at the University of Virginia. “He’s not playing for us, so we can’t call him one of our players, but we still think of him as being one of our guys,“ Virginia football coach Al Groh said.

Nine questions for Groh’s ninth season Spring practice begins today for 2009 season; safeties found not guilty Al Groh is heading into his ninth season as football coach at the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers went 5-7 in 2008, and if they post a similar record this year, there won’t be a 10th season for Groh at his alma mater. U.Va. opens spring practice today. The Wahoos’ spring game is April 18. Here are nine questions about Groh’s ninth team:

CHARLOTTESVILLE—University of Virginia football players Corey Mosley and Ausar Walcott were found not guilty of misdemeanor charges today in Albemarle County General District Court. University police arrested them Feb. 22 at a dance at U.Va.‘s Student Activities Building. Mosley was charged with disorderly conduct and Walcott with obstruction of justice.

Dick Price, who coached Norfolk State to three consecutive Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football titles in the 1970s, has died of cancer. He was 75.

BLACKSBURG—The ACC today announced its 2009 football schedule. Here is Virginia Tech’s schedule: Sept. 5Alabama (Ga Dome, Atlanta) Sept. 12 Marshall Sept. 19 Nebraska Sept. 26 Miami Oct. 3at Duke Oct. 10 Boston College Oct. 17 at Georgia Tech Oct. 29 North Carolina (ESPN) Nov. 5at East Carolina (ESPN)

CHARLOTTESVILLE—The ACC today announced its 2009 football schedule. Here is the University of Virginia’s portion: Sept. 5 William and Mary Sept. 12 TCU Sept. 19 at Southern Mississippi Oct. 3 at North Carolina Oct. 10 Indiana Oct. 17 at Maryland Oct. 24 Georgia Tech Oct. 31 Duke Nov. 7 at Miami (Fla.)

CHARLOTTESVILLE Bob Pruett’s first season at the University of Virginia turned out to be his last. Pruett, the U.Va. football team’s defensive coordinator in 2008, announced today that he’s retiring. Pruett will turn 66 in June. “As we all have to do in our lives, sometimes you have to stop and reset your priorities,“ Pruett said in a statement. “I think this is the best thing for our family and best for the University of Virginia’s family, which I love dearly. When I first started out in coaching in 1965 as a high school coach, a goal of mine was to coach at the University of Virginia. It is an experience I really cherish.“

Bitter rivals North Carolina and Duke will play each other at least twice this season. The first meeting comes tomorrow night at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium. ESPN will televise the 9 p.m. battle for first place in the ACC. Third-ranked UNC (21-2 overall) and No. 6 Duke (20-3) are each 7-2 in league play. They meet again March 8 in Chapel Hill.

CHARLOTTESVILLE—In an attempt to reassure University of Virginia fans upset about the struggles of the school’s football and men’s basketball programs, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage sent out a message to donors and season-ticket holders today. Many received it by e-mail; others will get it U.S. mail. Here is Littlepage’s statement: