news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Convening a gathering that was part lunch,
part press conference and mainly pep rally, administrators from UNCG and the
Greensboro Coliseum announced today a four-year partnership that will place all
Spartan home men's basketball games in the facility, bring in ACC opponents to
face the home team and restore the long-dormant series with N.C. A&T.

            As part of the arrangement, which will begin next season,
the coliseum will front the costs of a renovated, UNCG-specific court and
locker room. Matt Brown, the venue's managing director, said he will recoup all
costs of the upgrades through ticket sales.

            Linda Brady, the effusively praised chancellor who took
over leadership of UNCG in August, said some details haven't been finalized.
Generally speaking, however, the two sides will split ticket revenue and the
coliseum will receive all money from parking and concessions, which will
include beer sales.

            At Fleming Gym, the Spartans' on-campus home, some
parking is free and state policy forbids the sale of alcohol.

            Brown said he insisted on a renewal of the series between
the Aggies and Spartans, who haven't played each other in basketball since Jan.
16, 2002. Brady confirmed the deal and said she had a productive meeting with
her A&T counterpart, Stanley F. Battle, earlier this week.

            Fred Barakat, the longtime ACC administrator whom UNCG
has hired as a scheduling consultant, vowed to deliver two or three of that
league's teams onto the Spartans' home schedule in the years that the coliseum
hosts the ACC Tournament. That includes the majority of the next seven years.

            The UNCG-coliseum relationship is a four-year agreement
followed by three single-year options.

             Other details are
expected to be made available on Monday.

            Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com