The Rapids' 1996 schedule features 16 regular-season games at Mile High, including eight Sunday afternoon encounters, most starting at 2 p.m. MDT. In addition, the Rapids will host two exhibition matches at Mile High against international competition.

The Rapids open the MLS season on Saturday, April 13, at Kansas City before returning home to face, Dallas and its superstar striker, Mexico's Hugo Sanchez, on April 21.

"When we open our inaugural season on April 21, Mile High Stadium will play host to the most exciting soccer ever played in Colorado," said Colorado Rapids General Manager Richard A. Levine. "Major League Soccer will showcase the finest players from the United States as well as recognized stars from all over the world. The thousands of people who play soccer in this community will now get to see their sport played by the world's greatest athletes in the United States' only Division I league."

MLS has already signed more than 120 players, including 1994 U.S. World Cup stars Alexi Lalas, Tab Ramos, John Harkes, Tony Meola, Mike Burns, Mike Lapper and the Rapids' first assigned player, Roy Wegerle. In addition, international stars like Mexico's Jorge Campos and Hugo Sanchez and Bolivia's Marco Etcheverry will join several other prominent World Cup stars from South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Each team will be allocated up to four world-class stars. A player combine will be held in late January and the league's inaugural draft will take place in early February.

The Colorado Rapids, owned and operated by Denver industrialist Philip F. Anschutz, are one of 1O first-year franchises in MLS, America's first Division I professional soccer league in more than a decade. The league, financed by such investors as Anschutz, Virginia billionaire John Kluge, and NFL owners Lamar Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) and Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), has more than $75 million in funds. The league also has multi-million dollar agreements with corporate sponsors AT&T, Budweiser, Kellogg's, Nike, Reebok, adidas, Puma, Umbro, Mitre and more. In addition, the league has signed television agreements with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and Univision that call for more than 60 games to be televised nationally.

* Sunday, June 2: Denver hosts the D.C. United led by its star midfielder John Harkes, the first American to strike it big in Europe. The two-time U.S. World Cup standout returns home this season for the launch of MLS after six great years in the English leagues.

* Wednesday, June 12: Colorful defender Alexi Lalas, the most recognized U.S. player in history, makes his only visit to Colorado with the New England Revolution.

* June 30-July 7: A blockbuster 4th of July week extravaganza, with the Rapids facing tbree crucial matches. The first, on Sunday, June 30, pits the Rapids against the L.A. Galaxy and its superstar goalkeeper, Mexico's 1994 World Cup star Jorge Campos.
Then, on Thursday, July 4, U.S. World Cup hero Tab Ramos leads the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in a 7 p.m. clash that will be followed by a fantastic fireworks display. The match will coincide with the Pikes Peak Invitational, Colorado's preeminent youth soccer tournament and among the biggest soccer events in the country.
The week wraps up on Sunday, July 7, when the Columbus Crew visit-Mile High.

* Saturday, September 14: It's "Fan Appreciation Day," as the Rapids play their regular-season home finale against the Kansas City Wiz.

The Rapids' regular season ends one week later on September 21, with a game against D.C. United in Washington.

In all, the Rapids will play at home eight times on Sunday, three times each Wednesday and Thursday, and two times on Saturday. Tickets to Rapids games range in price from $10.00 to $22.00. Eighteen-game season ticket prices range in price from $195.00 to $360.00. A family season ticket package is also available. A family of four can buy season tickets from $850.00 to $1,300.

In addition, a special holiday "Half-Pack" season ticket special is also available. The special includes nine of the Rapid's home games. Some of the games included in the "Half-Pack" are April 21 when the Rapids host the Dallas Burn in the home opener at Mile High Stadium; May 5 against the Kansas City Wiz featuring Denver's biggest Cinco de Mayo party; June 12 against the New England Revolution featuring USA's colorful Alexi Lalas; and August 10, featuring USA World Cup Star Tab Ramos of the New York/New Jersey MertroStars. The nine-game season ticket prices range from $125.00 to $145.00 for adults and from $95.00 to $120.00 for youth. The family package ranges in price from $425.00 to $525.00 for a family of four.