EVENT GENERATES ESTIMATED $10 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT      ST. LOUIS - March 14, 2005 - On Thursday, they will be everywhere.  People walking the streets wearing Oklahoma State orange, Iowa gold, and Minnesota maroon.  Nearly 15,000 of them will stay at downtown hotels, eat at local restaurants, and, according to St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association Chief Economist Bryan Bezold, pump $10 million into the local economy.       Thousands of college wrestling fans, student-athletes, coaches, and media converge on St. Louis this week for the 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Savvis Center.  They'll create a festive scene downtown during the three-day tournament March 17-19 and account for more than 12,000 hotel room nights.    This is the third time this decade that the tournament has been held in the Gateway City.  In 2000, St. Louis set the event's all-time total attendance record.  More than 87,000 fans passed through the turnstiles during the 2004 tournament.  This year, local organizers are expecting more than 90,000 fans to attend the six sessions at Savvis Center.  St. Louis is the first city to host back-to-back Championships in the 75-year history of the event.    The NCAA Wrestling Championships begin a fabulous three-week period for St. Louis. With the NCAA Final Four coming up April 2 & 4 at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis has the rare distinction of hosting two NCAA championships in the same season.  This memorable stretch culminates with the Cardinals' final opening day at Busch Stadium April 8 - the day the Redbirds raise their National League Championship Pennant.    "This is one of the most exciting chapters in St. Louis sports history," said Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission.  "With the NCAA Wrestling Championships, NCAA Final Four and Cardinals Opening Day all taking place within a three-week window, it doesn't get much better than this."    The Sports Commission and the University of Missouri are co-hosts of the 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.  The independent non-profit Sports Commission spearheaded the area's effort to bring the event to St. Louis.     TOURNAMENT CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY    When St. Louis hosts the NCAA Wrestling Championships this week, it will mark the 75th time the tournament has taken place.  A major celebration is scheduled for Friday, March 18 at St. Louis Union Station to commemorate the Championships' 75th anniversary.      The festivities begin at 4 p.m. (in between sessions 3 and 4) and feature the introduction of the 75th anniversary all-time team, which will include 15 of the greatest grapplers in collegiate wrestling history.      The celebration also includes video highlights of the tournament's greatest moments, an autograph session, and a roundtable discussion with NCAA wrestling greats.  Admission to the 75th Anniversary Celebration is free.      On Saturday, March 19, the first 15,000 fans entering Savvis Center for Session 5 receive a special poster featuring the Championships' 75th anniversary team, compliments of the NCAA.      The 75th Anniversary Celebration is organized by the NCAA, National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Sports Commission.    READY FOR THE ACTION    In addition to the 75th Anniversary Celebration, several activities take place in conjunction with the NCAA Wrestling Championships.      On Tuesday night, hundreds of youth wrestlers will take part in a free NCAA Youth Education Through Sports (YES) wrestling clinic. College coaches and student-athletes serve as the instructors for the clinic, which begins at 6 p.m.      In addition, the Coca-Cola Spirit of Champions Tour, a free interactive fan-festival, takes place at Union Station throughout the tournament.       The competition begins at 11 a.m. on Thursday.  ESPN will air the championship finals at 4 p.m. on Saturday.  ESPNU carries the quarterfinals live at 10 a.m. Friday.   Later that night, ESPN will syndicate live coverage of the semifinals at 6 p.m.      The tournament's schedule of events appears below.  The Sports Commission encourages merchants located near Savvis Center and throughout downtown to be prepared for large crowds before, after and in between sessions.        2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships schedule of events     Tuesday, March 15  NCAA Youth Education Through Sports Wrestling Clinic - Savvis Center  (6-9 p.m.)     Wednesday, March 16  Pre-tournament press conference with coaches from the top five ranked programs -  14th and Clark Restaurant, Savvis Center Atrium  (2:30 p.m.)     Media welcome reception - Sheraton City Center Hotel, Bistro 14 - (4-6 p.m.)     Thursday, March 17  Session I - Savvis Center (11 a.m.)  Session II - Savvis Center  (6:30 p.m.)     Friday, March 18  Session III - Savvis Center  (10 a.m.)  75th Anniversary Celebration - Union Station (4 p.m.)   Session IV - Savvis Center  (6 p.m.)     Saturday, March 19  Session V - Savvis Center (9:30 a.m.)  Grand March & Parade of All-Americans - Savvis Center (3:35 p.m.)  Session VI - Savvis Center  (4 p.m.)     GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!    Tickets remain available for the 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.  Fans can order individual session tickets through Ticketmaster by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com, calling 314-241-1888 or 618-222-2900, or by visiting any Ticketmaster ticket center, including the Savvis Center box office.      Session prices range from $15 to $25.  All-session tickets, which provide admission to all six sessions, can be purchased at the Savvis Center box office.  All-session tickets are $100.