SMALL CONFERENCES BAND TOGETHER; SIX HEADS BETTER THAN ONE

     In an effort to increase their impact on regional and
national sports markets, the Colonial Athletic Association,
Midwestern Collegiate Conference, Missouri Valley Conference,
Ohio Valley Conference, Southern Conference and Sun Belt
Conference have joined to create the Conference Marketing Group.
CMG, designed to develop collective sales and marketing
opportunities for the leagues and member institutions, has struck
a deal with Integrated Sports Partners, itself a combination of
sports marketers (CMG).
     SO LONG SWC:  On Friday at 5pm, the Big Eight and Southwest
Conferences ceased to exist, giving way to the Big 12 which
technically opened for business on Monday in Dallas (K.C. STAR,
6/28)....The graduation rate for all schools in '95 for football
was 53%, while man's basketball was 44% and women's basketball
was 64% (WASHINGTON POST, 6/28)....A total of 5,233,954 attended
NCAA women's basketball games last season, surpassing the 5
million mark for the first time and marking the 15th consecutive
increase (NCAA).