The NFL today announced that replacement referees will work the opening week of the regular season, and ESPN’s John Clayton reports “time ran out” in the negotiations between the league and the NFL Referees Association. With the season starting a week from tonight, there was “no way they could probably get a deal done (and) get the crews ready for the first game.” The referee lockout “probably could go a couple of weeks into the season.” There does not seem “to be any progress in any negotiation,” and the impasse is “not just a matter of money, it’s a matter also of philosophy” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 8/29).

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown today announced that the Sabres and Owner Terry Pegula have "won the right to develop" the Webster Block. The team's proposed HARBORcenter project is estimated to cost $123M and would include "two ice rinks, a hotel and parking structure, as well as a New Era flagship store and a 'destination' Tim Hortons restaurant." Pegula said, "We will not be an absentee landlord. We will do right by this city. We will do right by our fans" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 8/29). The complex "would be connected to First Niagara Center via an elevated walkway" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/29).

Texas A&M and Arkansas today announced an agreement to keep the teams' annual football game at Cowboys Stadium for the '14-24 seasons. The two schools met three times at the venue in '09-11 "under a 10-year agreement to compete as non-conference opponents" before A&M joined the SEC. The game was "shifted to campus sites" this year and in '13. A&M President R. Bowen Loftin "expressed gratitude" to Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones "for helping facilitate the date changes" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 8/29). The new deal "amends the current contract, which stretched to 2018" (ARKANSASNEWS.com, 8/29).

Meanwhile, Texas A&M and the 12th Man Foundation today announced that they have expanded their ticketing partnership with Veritix, which will continue to provide primary ticketing services for all university sports venues and begin offering paperless ticketing through its Flash Seats product (Texas A&M).

MLB Business PR Dir Jeff Heckelman tweeted, "500 baseball writers just emailed us asking for an interview with Bruce Springsteen. #kidding #notreally."

The Pitt basketball program announced plans to hold its first Midnight Madness in nine years, and it is planning to hold the event outside. The men's and women's teams will have an outdoor event at 9:45pm ET on Friday, Oct. 12, after a "9:15pm fireworks and laser show" in conjunction with the school's Homecoming and 225-year anniversary celebration. The teams will play on a court constructed on Bigelow Boulevard, where lights, portable bleachers and a video board will be built. Admission is "free and open to the public" (WPXI.com, 8/29).

The Saints' practice facility in Metairie "seems to have held up fine so far" against Hurricane Isaac, "though the building did lose power" around 3:00am CT. Facilities Manager Terry Ashburn said that the fields were "doing fine, except for the typical debris" from a hurricane (NOLA.com, 8/29).

Meanwhile, ESPN's Brett McMurphy today wrote on his Twitter feed, "LSU officials continue to monitor Hurricane Isaac; no change in status of Saturday’s game vs. North Texas at this time" (TWITTER.com, 8/29). Football coach Les Miles canceled practice, saying that his team "would 'hunker down' in facilities around LSU's campus" (ESPN.com, 8/29).

Liberty Media has added another 40 million shares of SiriusXM, bringing the private equity firm's stake in the satellite broadcaster to 48.8% (FMQB.com, 8/29).

The L.A. Marathon today announced a partnership with imATHLETE, whose technology will support the Oct. 1 registration launch for the '13 race. Last year's race featured more than 23,000 registrants (imATHLETE/L.A. Marathon).

Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and Fox Media Group COO Larry Jones rang the Closing Bell today at the NASDAQ MarketSite in N.Y. (THE DAILY).

USA Hockey today announced that Total Hockey signed a four-year extension of its partnership as the exclusive hockey equipment retailer for the NGB, taking it through the '15-16 season (USA Hockey).

Lighthouse and TS Sports are providing LED video displays to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas (Lighthouse/TS Sports).

"When I looked at the schedule, this was really the time to do it. We just had such a great experience as a coaching staff, and I'm hoping the players had the same kind of experience we had" – Jets coach Rex Ryan, on excusing several veteran players from practice today to take part in an off-site leadership seminar (NYPOST.com, 8/29).

"She realistically could be the next Tiger Woods. She's won everything at every stage. She's really an incredible story" – Caddie Steve Williams, who used to caddie for Woods, on 15-year-old amateur Lydia Ko last week becoming the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour (AP, 8/28).

“You can say we’re consistent” – Jets Owner Woody Johnson, on the team not having scored a touchdown this preseason (“Squawk on the Street,” CNBC, 8/29).

NFL free agent WR Chad Johnson: "That awkward moment when you realize you're not on Madden13 and have to create yourself."

Golfer Ian Poulter: "If Arsenal keeps making tens of millions of £'s on selling players. does that mean our season ticket prices will go down."

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jay Posner: "It's early but this wasn't opening blockbuster some were hoping for: New #Padres owners won't talk payroll; have no answers about TV problem."

SB Nation's Rob Neyer: "If #padres don't bring back brown uniforms, they're missing a HUGE opportunity to be interesting."

ESPN's Mike Humes: "The Texas A&M-La Tech game will be on an ESPN platform, but not on the Longhorn Network."

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

The London Times' Ashling O'Connor posts an image from the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London with the copy, "It's raining men."

With player safety being one of the NFL's main focuses heading into the upcoming season, Jest.com has posted a video to highlight some of history's other health-conscious athletes.

29,854 – Attendance for last night's Mariners-Twins game at Target Field, the Twins' "smallest crowd in the ballpark's three seasons" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/29). This also marks the first time attendance has fallen below 30,000 (STARTRIBUNE.com, 8/28).