Sports 101

Expanded luxury seating. A state-of-the-art stadium. Delicious food to satisfy anyone's appetite. Who could pass up this combination? Apparently not Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. He has agreed to move his football team from Massachusetts to Connecticut in exchange for a $350 million stadium. Hartford-area officials hope the move will reap long-term economic benefits.

Q: Is the move a

done deal?

A: No. The Patriots did not sign an agreement to move to Hartford. They signed a deal promising not to negotiate with any other states until Dec. 31. The Connecticut Legislature has until then to decide whether to commit $350 million to build the team a stadium. In addition, the move would require the approval of 24 of the 31 NFL owners.

Q: New stadiums tend to raise ticket prices. What's the average ticket price in the NFL today?

A: In the six new stadiums that have been built for NFL teams in the 1990s, the average is $50.50 - much higher than the $40.26 it costs to see a team play in a stadium built between 1960 and '89. Ticket prices for the oldest stadiums in the league, such as Foxboro, average $33.60.

Q: Which four NFL teams have changed cities since 1995?

A: The Rams and Raiders, from Los Angeles to St. Louis and Oakland, respectively; the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore, where they became the Ravens; and the Oilers from Houston to Tennessee.

Q: What are the NFL's plans for the future?

A: The league has decided to put a new team in Cleveland. It is also considering an expansion franchise for 2000 or later in Los Angeles or Houston.

Correction

In the Nov. 20 Sports 101, Tennessee's Pat Summit was mistakenly identified as Louisiana Tech's women's basketball coach. Reader Gretchen F. Beal, a Tennessee Lady Vols fan, writes, "Wow! Please don't send Pat Summit to our arch-rival La Tech! We love her here in Tennessee."

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