At their spring meeting Tuesday, NFL owners authorized commissioner Paul Tagliabue to spend several million dollars on design and engineering studies at proposed Southland stadium sites.

The studies will determine whether Los Angeles or Anaheim can best handle a franchise.

City Councilman Bernard Parks and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum General Manager Pat Lynch were in Denver to push the city's $800 million proposal for a refurbished Coliseum to NFL owners, according to Bernard Parks Jr., chief of staff for the councilman.

Anaheim has proposed a stadium that would form part of an entertainment and residential complex near Angel Stadium. The city has given the NFL until May 31 to declare its interest or the city may pursue other development possibilities.

Pasadena residents will vote on a measure in November that would give the NFL the right to play at the Rose Bowl for 25 years in exchange for $500 million in stadium renovations, $500,000 a year in rent and other considerations. Pasadena's bid is considered a longshot, given a lack of enthusiasm among some city leaders.

The Los Angeles area has not had an NFL team since 1994. In 1995, the Raiders returned to Oakland after playing 13 seasons at the Coliseum, and the Anaheim-based Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis.

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday unanimously approved a renovation plan that calls for a new 67,000-seat stadium to be built within the walls of the historic Coliseum, home of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics.

A renovated Coliseum would feature 200 luxury boxes and 15,000 club seats. The number of stadium seats would drop the current 92,000 to 68,000, but 80,000 spectators could be accommodated for special events, including Super Bowls or USC-UCLA games, the elder Parks said.

The NFL would be responsible for construction costs and a future owner would pay to service the debt -- possibly $40 million a year.

However, as part of the deal being floated to NFL owners, Los Angeles would spend at least $25 million from tax revenue to improve the neighborhood surrounding the Coliseum.

Earlier this month, Parks and Lynch teamed with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, county Supervisor Yvonne Burke and some members of the Coliseum Commission for a presentation to the NFL's 11-member L.A. Working Group in Dallas.

Because the Southland proposals envision no public monies for actual stadium construction, league officials said they want to ensure professional football would enjoy solid business community support -- whether in Los Angeles or Anaheim.

An NFL delegation scheduled to visit the region early next month is expected to gauge prospects for corporate support for a future team, including the purchase of luxury stadium suites.

Tagliabue has said he wants the NFL to decide on a Southern California site by the end of the year. A decision would follow on a team -- an existing team or an expansion team -- with NFL football returning to the region in 2010 or 2011.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said two teams should be sent to Southern California.

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