NFL'S AUSTRIAN FLOATS POSSIBLE RETURN TO CLEVELAND IN '98

     NFL President Neil Austrian told a group of Northeast OH
business leaders that a new Browns team could play in a temporary
home in Columbus as soon as '98, according to the Akron BEACON
JOURNAL.  Austrian, in Cleveland to "verify corporate support"
for a new stadium there, said the team could play at Ohio State
before moving to a new $220M stadium in Cleveland in '99.  The
Cleveland City Council votes on the NFL/Browns deal on March 8.
Austrian:  "We're going on the basis that this is going to be
approved."  NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will visit Cleveland
on March 4, in part to help ensure Council passage.  While
Austrian said the team likely would be an existing team meeting
league relocation guidelines, expansion is still possible with
local ownership (Bart Hubbuch, Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 2/24).