NFL OFFICIAL BACKS PLAN FOR COLISEUM.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

The president of the National Football League gave a strong boost to Los Angeles officials and their plans to modernize the Coliseum, but warned that the city would never be in contention for a franchise without local support.

Neil Austrian, NFL president and chief operating officer, told more than 100 business and civic leaders in Los Angeles on Wednesday that cities that have been successful in winning franchises have made financial commitments averaging 80 percent of the cost of building new stadiums.

``I am not arguing that government should invest in sports at the expense of police, fire and street repair,'' Austrian said at the City Club breakfast sponsored by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. ``But government does have an obligation on quality of life to permit an environment in which people can take advantage of a sports venue.''

At the same time, Austrian argued that the city, county and state could expect to be repaid with increased revenues from having a team in the area as well as NFL assistance in promises to hold future Super Bowls in the city.

The city could ensure stability by having the owners commit to a 30-year lease.

Ridley-Thomas has put together an effort to get all forces in the city behind his project to remodel the Coliseum, in an estimated $200 million program that would gut the interior to be replaced with a state-of-the-art facility including luxury boxes and club seats.

As a result of those efforts, Austrian said the NFL has agreed to abandon looking at other sites in the area and is backing the Coliseum proposal, which includes a $300 million renovation of the Exposition Park area.

Also, Austrian said he is personally committed to trying to place a franchise in the Los Angeles area, which is the second-biggest media market in the country, and one that would include local ownership.

``For the NFL to remain viable, we have to have a team here,'' Austrian said. ``I cannot imagine a generation of kids growing up not having a home team to root for.''

Austrian said new stadiums - with the revenue they generate from the luxury suites and club seating - is a vital financial consideration for team owners.

``This revenue is the difference between the haves and the have-nots,'' Austrian said, a situation that has been exacerbated because of the labor agreement with the players association that allows free agency.

The NFL executive also sought to downplay concerns about the amount of time that is involved.

``In the summer of 1995, we were looking at the Raiders playing in a new stadium at Hollywood Park,'' Austrian said. ``That summer, they were no longer here.''

NFL owners were concerned initially about the Coliseum as a home for a new team and looked at other venues until Ridley-Thomas came up with his proposal and was able to generate widespread support, Austrian said.