In '95, ESPN2 will televise the Baseball Across America
Tour, a series of 20 games from all levels of the minors.  The
series will be featured primarily on Thursday evenings. The
telecasts "will center around the special elements of minor
league baseball -- its fascinating ballparks, current and rising
stars and unique fan promotions."  Mike Moore, President of
NABPL, which announced the deal jointly with ESPN2 at the minor
league winter meetings in Dallas:  "Our fans have long enjoyed
the entertainment derived from a night at the ballpark.  The
'Baseball Across America Tour' will bring this entertainment to
millions more" (ESPN2).

     The USGA and NBC Sports will launch "USGA GolfFest:  Inside
the Ropes" -- an "interactive traveling golf festival that will
debut at selected USGA championships in 1996," according to an
announcement by USGA Exec Dir David Fay and NBC Sports Senior VP
Jon Miller.  In '96, GolfFest will be held in conjunction with
the U.S. Open (Oakland Hills CC, Birmingham, MI), the U.S. Senior
Open (Cantebury Golf Club, Cleveland, OH), the U.S. Women's Open
(Pine Needles Resort, Southern Pines, NC), and the U.S. Amateur
(Pumpkin Ridge CC, Cornelius, OR).  The USGA and NBC hope to
extend GolfFest to other championships in later years.  Miller:
"The NBA has Jam Session, the NFL has NFL Experience, MLB has
FanFest and now golf will have its own interactive golf festival
in USGA GolfFest."  Interactive technology, instruction and
analysis, course design, merchandise, travel tips and resort
information will all be components of GolfFest.  NBC and USGA
will use an independent event marketer to help "design and
implement" GolfFest (NBC).

     The NCAA announced a new TV contract granting CBS the
exclusive rights to the Division I Men's Basketball Championship
from 1995 through 2002.  The new deal replaces an existing
contract, which ran from 1991 through 1997, and extends it for
five years.  CBS will pay the NCAA $1.725B for the rights to the
men's basketball championship, two games of the College Baseball
World Series, the Women's Gymnastics Championship, the Div. I
Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the
Div. II Men's Basketball Championship.  Annual payments under the
new deal will average $215.6M; they had been $143M/year (NCAA).
     THE WORD FROM BLACK ROCK:  CBS Sports President David Kenin:
"We wanted to aggressively plan our future further out than we
have in the past.  The NCAA basketball tournament has become a
huge, huge event, and we see it continuing to be powerful
programming" (Prentis Rogers, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 12/7).  CBS
Sports VP Len DeLuca:  "We've built a strategy since early this
year to make college sports our foundation.  This deal is a
recognition of the qualitative value of the CBS-NCAA
relationship.  And this is a deal that has been profitable and
will continue to be" (Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 12/7).  Grey
Advertising Senior VP Jon Mandel, on CBS:  "They essentially had
to do everything they could to protect their franchise.  It's one
of the best in the business" (John Helyar, WALL STREET JOURNAL,
12/7).  Michael Hiestand:  "Whether CBS overpaid, it still has
one ace on network rivals who've signed the pros:  The collegians
can't go on strike" (USA TODAY, 12/7).  CBS "has done well since
losing the NFL" -- gaining 2/3 of next year's bowl alliance,
regular season Big East and SEC basketball/football and the '98
Winter Games, and extending its Big Ten deal (Milton Kent,
Baltimore SUN, 12/7).
     WINDFALL:  Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany:  "It's more than
I expected.  I think the Fox factor came into play.  I think CBS'
desire to maintain this product came into play.  It was the right
time to come into the market" (Steve Weiberg, USA TODAY, 12/7).
NCAA Exec Dir Cedric Dempsey:  "The partnership between the NCAA
and CBS has been positive and beneficial for both organizations.
... The CBS agreement will provide needed resources for NCAA
members that are struggling to finance comprehensive sports
programs" (NCAA).
     RIGHTS FEES:  "TV rights fees still look like they have the
growth potential of Jack's famous beanstalk" (Michael Hiestand,
USA TODAY, 12/7).  The price for the new deal is the largest
amount ever guaranteed for any TV sports package (Bill Knight,
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 12/7).
     WOMEN'S HOOPS:  The deal did not include the Women's Div. I
Basketball Championship, which CBS has carried since 1982.  ESPN
announced this morning they will begin carrying the Women's Final
Four and 18 other NCAA championships in '95-96.  ESPN's deal runs
through 2001-2 (ESPN).