Women'Sports Wire

(February 15, 2001)

Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) names Berke
Chief Television & Marketing Officer and Dicicco Chief Operations Officer

New York, NY (February 15, 2001) - The Women's United Soccer Association has announced that Acting President Lee Berke and Acting Commissioner Tony DiCicco have accepted permanent positions with the WUSA. Berke takes on the official title of Chief Television & Marketing Officer while DiCicco's new title will be Chief Operations Officer. Barbara Allen, CEO for the WUSA, made the announcement today.

Berke, who last served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing for SFX Entertainment, has worked for the league since its inception and has been responsible for much of the progress it has made. He negotiated the league's four-year national TV deal with Turner and also helped land the WUSA's first two charter sponsors. In his permanent role, he will continue to oversee sponsorship, marketing, merchandising, public relations and television departments.

DiCicco, the former coach of the U.S, Women's National Team, will continue to handle many of the same duties he has been responsible for the past year while serving as the Acting Commissioner. He will oversee all field-related and competition matters for the WUSA including game operations, player relations and grassroots efforts. Under his direction the WUSA has conducted its first-ever Draft/Combine and have signed over 20 of the top international players in the world.

The WUSA will launch this April with the following eight teams: Atlanta Beat, Bay Area CyberRays, Boston Breakers, Carolina Courage, New York Power, Philadelphia Charge, San Diego Spirit and Washington Freedom. The WUSA will feature all of the members of the 1999 World Cup Champion and 2000 silver medal winning-team. WUSA's founding players are: Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, Tracy Ducar, Lorrie Fair, Joy Fawcett, Danielle Fotopoulos, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, Tiffeny Milbrett, Carla Overbeck, Cindy Parlow, Christie Pearce, Tiffany Roberts, Briana Scurry, Kate Sobrero, Tisha Venturini, Saskia Webber, and Sara Whalen. The league will also feature over 20 of the top international stars from Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Norway and Sweden.

WUSA investors include John S. Hendricks, chairman and CEO of Discovery Communications, Inc., the parent company of Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and other cable network services; Amos B. Hostetter, Jr., former chairman and CEO, Continental Cablevision, Inc., Comcast Corporation, which has majority ownership of QVC, Comcast-Spectacor, Comcast SportsNet, and The Golf Channel, and a controlling interest in E! Networks; Cox Enterprises; Cox Communications; and Time Warner Cable.

Information on the WUSA can be found on the league's official website at www.wusaleague.com. [Source: Shaun May (212) 548-5868/ or Tom Cosentino, Occ (732) 970-0399]