The financial impact of this weekend's inaugural Big
     Ten conference basketball tournament, which begins today at
     the United Center, was examined by Greg Couch of the CHICAGO
     SUN-TIMES.  Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany: "We generally
     expect between a quarter-million and a half-million dollars
     net per institution (in profits from the tournament).  And
     we'll probably be in the high end of that range."  The Big
     Ten "would not break down the figures, but an official from
     another major conference said its main sponsor puts up
     $500,000 a year."  Kemper Funds is the Big Ten tournament's
     primary sponsor; United Airlines and Gatorade are secondary
     sponsors.  Ticket sales alone from the tournament, "which is
     all but sold out," will bring in $4M, or $363,000 for each
     of its 11 schools.  And Delany's numbers "don't include the
     boost in product the Big Ten can sell to TV networks as part
     of a season package, or the bump in revenues to each school
     from the additional exposure" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/4).

          The Celebrity Golf Association (CGA), which has staged
     tournaments in Orlando in each of the past four years, "will
     not be stopping by for a fifth," according to Jeff Babineau
     of the ORLANDO SENTINEL.  CGA Commissioner Jim Karvellas:
     "[W]e lost considerable monies in Orlando. ... I don't like
     leaving there, but it got to the point where, because of
     certain circumstances, we had to move on."  Babineau notes
     crowds were "sparse" and local sponsors "were slow stepping
     forward."  The CGA "usually" conducts 6-8 events a year, but
     "has pulled back its reins, hoping to catch its breath and
     refocus on the road ahead."  Karvellas said he hopes to land
     Michael Jordan, Mario Lemieux and John Elway -- "all of whom
     have played on the CGA" -- for a Ryder Cup-style tournament
     on network TV in the summer of '99 (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/4).