Thursday, April 9, 1998

Cowboys, Wichita Falls school district haggle over scrimmage proceeds

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) -- Wichita Falls school officials are willing to let the Dallas Cowboys use a local high school stadium for night practices and scrimmages, but lament that the team won't give the district a cut of the gate receipts.

Officials told trustees that the team, which is moving its summer training camp to Wichita Falls from Austin, doesn't want to give the Wichita Falls Independent School District the customary 10 percent cut WFISD usually would require for use of Memorial Stadium.

The Cowboys have agreed to reimburse the school system's expenses and donate an unspecified portion of the proceeds to area charities, school negotiators said.

If 10 percent of the proceeds doesn't reach the district, board vice chairwoman Joellen Tritton said, it needs to reach the community in some way. "I wouldn't mind an equitable amount or more going to local charity," she said.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple wasn't available for comment Tuesday.

When asked what's in it for WFISD, athletic director Faulkner said, "Not a whole lot for us. Our main objective is to display a spirit of cooperation for the city and for Midwestern (State University)."

Midwestern is hosting the team, which ended an eight-year relationship with St. Edward's University in Austin this winter.

School negotiators will continue to work on an agreement over the next week, and present a contract for approval at the school board meeting April 20.