Infiniti today announced a partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports and Turner Sports. The automaker, which will run a multimedia campaign during regular-season men's basketball games and the Division I men's basketball tournament, will receive co-branded features during hoops coverage on CBS and the three Turner Broadcasting networks. Infiniti will also serve as the presenting sponsor of Turner's March Madness pregame shows and will present in-game "coaches spotlights" during the tournament (Infiniti).

Best Buy today will announce plans for its first-ever Super Bowl ad, a 30-second spot that will air in the third quarter of Fox' Feb. 6 telecast. The spot, featuring entertainers Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne, marks a "strategic attempt" by Best Buy to "move beyond its big-box retailer stereotype." The chain "wants to evolve into more of an Internet technology expert and service provider. And it wants to skew younger" (USA TODAY, 1/26).  

USA Gymnastics today will announce a two-year deal with Hilton Hotels, the NGB’s “first hotel partner in more than 12 years.” Hilton will provide “financial support to the men’s gymnastics team and amenity upgrades to the USA Gymnastics training center at Karolyi Ranch in Texas.” Hilton receives IP rights, “branding on the men’s uniforms during domestic competitions and signage at Karolyi Ranch” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/24 issue).

The announcement will be "accompanied by the ranch’s designation" by the USOC as an "official Olympic training site." The Hilton deal “provides financial support to replace assistance offered over the last decade by Texaco and Chevron” (CHRON.com, 1/24).

When the tennis world’s attention in late June is on the late-round play at Wimbledon, the USTA may have another distraction: a trial. The USTA’s lawsuit against Olympus Corp. for breaching its sponsorship agreement yesterday received a trial date of June 30, which is the same date as the women’s semifinals at Wimbledon. Olympus has also countersued the USTA. It is possible the two sides settle before the case reaches trial.

The USTA is seeking to enforce the last year of the U.S. Open and U.S. Open Series sponsorships, while Olympus wants a court order to break them, alleging the USTA violated terms of the agreements. The case is filed in New York State Supreme Court, Westchester division.

Ted Mondale today will "make his first public appearance" at the Minnesota State Capitol as Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission Chair when he "testifies before a Senate local government panel." Mondale "is already taking a lead in helping shape" efforts for a new Vikings stadium. State Sen. Julie Rosen: "He's definitely a player." She added, "Mondale coming on the scene is a very good move on the governor's part" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/24).

NASCAR.com today announced that it will be adding a new fantasy game to its site. NASCAR Fantasy Live will provide live scoring during races. Sprint will be a partial presenting sponsor of the game and will receive branding and half of the ads within the game. The game will award points based on finish position, place differential, pass differential, laps led and number of fastest laps. Players will choose five drivers a week for their team.

Meanwhile, John Force Racing yesterday launched an entertainment arm that will develop a reality television show about the legendary dragster and his three daughters. John Force Entertainment, as the group will be known, also plans to complete and publish a John Force biography and explore developing the biography into a documentary. The entertainment group will be run by Ashley Force Hood. It has hired television producer Brent Travers to work on a reality show about Force and his three daughters.

The WAC today will hold a conference call to "discuss its future." The conference likely will consider "more expansion in Texas," where it already has added Texas State and UT-San Antonio for the '12-13 athletic year. The Mountain West Conference, which already has pulled four teams from the WAC, yesterday at league meetings "opted not to expand," one day after "reports and rumors that it was poised to extend invites to Utah State and, possibly, San Jose State" (IDAHO STATESMAN, 1/26).

Meanwhile, the lone MWC matchup between Boise State and TCU next season will take place at Bronco Stadium “after a vote of league presidents.” The game was slated for Ft. Worth, Texas, but the league “opted for a change after TCU announced it was leaving for the Big East in 2012” (IDAHO STATESMAN, 1/26).

ESPN today will formally announce a multiyear contract extension with "SportsCenter" anchor Hannah Storm, who will take on a "larger on-site presence at events such as the Super Bowl, NBA Finals and tennis' U.S. Open and Wimbledon." She will "continue on behind-the-scenes projects, such as producing a film on women's soccer" (USA TODAY, 1/26).

ESPN also announced an extension with motorsports studio analyst Rusty Wallace, who will remain with the net through the '14 NASCAR season (ESPN).

The National Association of Television Program Executives last night presented NBC Sports & Olympics Chair Dick Ebersol with one of four Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards, named after the late NBC exec. Ebersol during his acceptance speech thanked "a number of luminaries in the room." He said his current boss, outgoing NBC Universal President & CEO Jeff Zucker is "the best he's ever had."

Ebersol said that it was "grace that most characterized" the award's namesake, "as no one had ever been that sensitive in business dealings"
(HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/25).