NFL Expansion Candidates to Address Owners in Miami

The NFL has asked representatives from Houston and the two Los Angeles groups vying to join the league to make 30-minute presentations to a select group of owners Thursday at Miami.

Michael Ovitz, representing Carson’s effort to win NFL favor, will lead off, a reversal of his cleanup position before the owners in October’s meeting at Kansas City, Mo. Robert McNair, representing Houston, will follow, with the New Coliseum closing the session.

The NFL said the presentations before Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and his front-office staff and the expansion committee--a group of 14 owners--should be aimed toward questions left unanswered in Kansas City.

All of the league’s owners will meet at Atlanta on Feb. 16 with the expectation the Finance Committee will recommend which of the three groups should be awarded an expansion franchise.

If unsuccessful in making such a determination, the league could either delay a final selection to a month later at further meetings in Phoenix, or award the Los Angeles area the expansion franchise but indicate no preference between Carson or the New Coliseum.

There has been increasing sentiment within the league to award the Los Angeles area a team with one year to put together the best stadium deal, or failing that, have the league build the stadium and then auction it off, along with the expansion franchise.

Some owners believe the NFL could draw $1 billion in an auction from someone in Los Angeles for a new stadium and team, as long as the league got everything started with construction of the facility.

If the league pursues the idea of building the stadium with NFL funds, it might not confine its site selection to Carson or the Coliseum. There have been renewed discussions with Hollywood Park, as well as other potential locations for a new stadium.

The NFL’s plan is to have its 32nd team playing as early as 2001 in a temporary facility such as the Rose Bowl or the Astrodome and in a new stadium by 2002.