CHARLOTTE HAS BIG PLANS FOR WOMEN'S HOOPS FINAL FOUR

     The Super Belle Women's Football game "is part of a barrage
of activities planned around the NCAA Women's Final Four,"
according to Erik Spanberg of the CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Organizers are looking to boost the event's economic impact to
$15M, "more than double the tournament's previous impact on any
host city."  Football organizers may rent Memorial Stadium for
the game, and hope to attract several corporate sponsors.  The
cost is budgeted at $350,000 and tickets will cost no more than
$10.  Hope-Beckham is organizing the game.  Spanberg notes 15% of
Hope-Beckham is owned by Liberty Sports, "providing a possible
television outlet."  The '96 Women's Final Four marks the first
time ESPN will carry the games, with all three games aired live.
Kristy Brown, Charlotte Organizing Committee Manager, was hired
in October to coordinate the effort and oversee the $800,000
budget, of which $670,000 has been raised.  NationsBank Corp,
First-Union Corp, Mecklenburg County and the Auditorium-Coliseum-
Convention Center Authority have all donated $100,000 each.
Carolinas Partnership $40,000 and Nike contributed $143,000 in
apparel (Erik Spanberg, CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/25).