WINNIPEG:  Officials of the Manitoba Entertainment Complex,
the group seeking to build a new arena in Winnipeg, will attempt
today to persuade Winnipeg hockey fans to purchase seats in the
new building.  MEC needs commitments for 1,500 club seats and 40
luxury suites by the end of November in order to keep the project
on course for a construction start next summer.  Privileges for
suite-holders will be extensive.  For $55,000 to $85,000
annually, and the one-time $40,000 builders fee, a suite-holder
will enjoy the use of a separate club concourse, private
restaurant, special parking, all-day, all-event availability and
concierge service.  It will cost club-seat holders between $2,000
and $5,000 for the one-time builder's fee and the per-year
premium is between $800 and $1,000, depending on location.
Hockey tickets for the Jets will be extra, but the club seat also
guarantees the availability of a chair for every arena event for
which the seat owner wishes to purchase tickets (Don Campbell,
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/22).
     CALGARY:  The Flames are offering 1,500 fans with the
opportunity to purchase club seats in the renovated Olympic
Saddledome.  By purchasing a club seat, an individual will be
provided the privilege of obtaining tickets to any event at the
Saddledome.  The privilege won't affect shows until the arena
reopens after extensive renovations in mid-October, 1995.  While
the official price for a club seat has yet to be released, Flames
Seating Director Bob White said that the seats would cost between
$2,925 and $3,375 for the 45-game season (Alison Mayes, CALGARY
HERALD, 10/21).
     EDMONTON:  Edmonton Eskimos GM Hugh Campbell said that the
team may be forced to shut down their operation if they can't get
more money out of Commonwealth Stadium.  Campbell said after four
straight money-losing seasons, the team will fold without new
revenue sources.  City Council decides tomorrow whether to
further pursue the ideal of an Eskimo-operated stadium (Mike
Sadava, EDMONTON JOURNAL, 10/22).

     SMU AD Bill Lively said that the university has made
significant progress toward finding a new football stadium for
1995.  The university is committed to moving to either the Cotton
Bowl in Dallas or Texas Stadium in Irving (FORT WORTH STAR-
TELEGRAM, 10/21)....San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan has promised
to spend $26M on improvements at Candlestick Park if NFL owners
vote to play the Super Bowl there in 1999.  Jim Lazerus, director
of special projects for the mayor, said that the mayor is
considering renaming the stadium with a sponsor's name (S.F.
CHRONICLE, 10/21)....The Hussey Seating Co. has begun the
installation of 50,000 seats in the new Coors Stadium (ROCKY
MOUNTAIN NEWS, 10/22)....A $2.5M conversion to condominiums of a
office building is planned for a site near the north side of the
new Gund Arena (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/23).

     The TX Comptroller's office is reviewing whether contractors
for The Ballpark at Arlington owe sales taxes on construction
materials used to build the stadium.  The tax, which would have
to be paid by the Arlington Sports Facilities Development
Authority and could amount to "several million dollars," is in
question because of a conflict between two pieces of legislation
on the tax-exempt status."  TX tax law does not allow tax
exemptions when a government entity, in this case the "quasi-
public" sports authority, leases or sells a project to private
interests such as the Rangers.  But a law passed in '91 "may have
overridden the language in the tax code," according to Greg
Hartman, a spokesperson for Comptroller John Sharp (Wayne Slater,
DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/21).  The '91 amendment was "passed
specifically for" the Ballpark project but does not "specifically
address" a sales tax.  The sports authority says it does not have
the money to pay the taxes if the comptroller decides they are
necessary.  The law does not allow the sports authority's debt to
exceed the $135M taxpayer contribution.  The Rangers must pay
"any obligations beyond" this amount (Ken Dilanian, FORT WORTH
STAR TELEGRAM, 10/21).  The tax has become an issue in the
Governor's race between Rangers Partner George W. Bush and Ann
Richards (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/22).