BRIEFLY BAILEY-PORTIS DEAL NEARLY COMPLETED.

Byline: - Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Barring a breakdown in contract talks between Champ Bailey and the Denver Broncos, the All-Pro defensive back will be traded by Washington with a second-round draft pick for running back Clinton Portis.

The NCAA championships and competition cabinet has approved the Big Ten Conference's proposal to use instant replay on an experimental basis for conference games in 2004.

--The New York Giants released two veterans they signed a year ago - Brian Mitchell, the NFL's career total yardage and returns leader, and running back Dorsey Levens.

--A seven-school NCAA I-AA league called the Great West Football Conference will begin in 2005.

MEDIA: KSPN-AM (710) has reunited John Ireland and Steve Mason as the 1-to-4 p.m. sports-talk show team starting March 22..

SOCCER: Shannon Boxx scored three goals as the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 7-0 in the opening of Olympic women's soccer regional qualifying in San Jose, Costa Rica.

TENNIS: Venus Williams, in her first competitive match after missing three weeks with a right-leg injury, defeated Alicia Molik 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates.

In the same tournament, Jennifer Capriati lost to Eleni Daniilidou 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

BASEBALL: Brian Ward, a 26-year-old infielder who has played for the U.S., was banned for three months and issued a warning after testing positive for banned drugs during the recent World Cup and Americas Olympic qualifying tournaments.