The Vikings are planning "a big weekend for fans as the team closes out its final season at the Metrodome" with a game against the Lions. The festivities begin Saturday with a "Last Season, Last Call," where season-ticket holders will get "a final chance to take commemorative photos on the field, near the Vikings ship or in the team's locker room." The team on Sunday will give every fan entering the stadium "a pennant celebrating the final season" (AP, 12/24).

The Vikings are planning extra security to “avoid a repeat of the near-riot that broke out 32 years ago when the team played its final game at the old Metropolitan Stadium.” Fans will not be “allowed to take any parts of the stadium with them” (AP, 12/20).

The Browns are “ending a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic that spans almost 40 years.” The team reportedly will switch medical services to University Hospitals, which will supplant the Clinic “as one of the franchise’s major corporate sponsors.” The deals are “separate entities to comply with NFL policy.” The UH sponsorship deal is believed to be worth up to $30M over 10 years (ESPNCLEVELAND.com, 12/26).

A statement from the Cleveland Clinic was “ambiguous, though the wording indicated that the hospital system might not be willing to shoulder the multimillion dollar cost of an NFL sponsorship” (CLEVELAND.com, 12/26).

The NBA announced last night that it “has adjusted its schedule and removed” a Feb. 7 Wizards-Cavaliers game from ESPN’s telecast. The game would have been the Wizards’ “lone appearance on NBA network television partners ABC, ESPN or TNT this season.” The Wizards have not been on ESPN since the ’09-10 season, and was last featured on TNT during the ’10-11 season (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/27).

Pitt defeated Bowling Green 30-27 last night in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl “in front of 26,259 at Ford Field.” The announced attendance was the “second smallest in the history of the game only to last year, when Central Michigan beat Western Kentucky in the middle of a snowstorm.” It could mark the final Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, as the Lions and Big Ten Conference have created their own bowl starting in ‘14 (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/27).

The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl drew 23,408 fans for the Utah State-Northern Illinois matchup on Thursday night – “an all-time low in its nine-year history.” Qualcomm Stadium “had big patches of empty seats,” which is “not unexpected for two teams well over an easy day’s drive to San Diego” (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 12/27).

UFC President Dana White has revealed that Saturday’s UFC 168 event headlined by Chris Weidman-Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey-Miesha Tate is sold out. White: “We’re so sold out on this fight, it’s insane.” The event, which is being held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is “already the second largest gate in the promotion’s history” in the U.S. White: “I think we’re at $6.3 million right now” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/26).

The Chargers have announced that "enough tickets were purchased" to avoid a local TV blackout of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, which will air on KFMB-CBS at 1:25pm PT. The Chargers had the first blackout this season earlier this month (UTSANDIEGO.com, 12/26).

Meanwhile, the Bengals have declared Sunday's game against the Ravens a sellout, but the team "faces a tall task when it comes to the first playoff game." Bengals Dir of Sales & Public Affairs Jeff Berding said that 10,000-15,000 tickets remain for the first playoff game, "which is why the push to start selling has ramped up the past couple of days" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 12/27).

The opening of Santa Anita’s winter/spring meeting on Thursday drew an announced crowd of 30,540 and it “was a welcome antidote to the final race Sunday at the 75-year-old Betfair Hollywood Park track.” Hollywood Park’s closure “means other tracks – mainly Santa Anita – will pick up additional dates during the year.” Trainer Bob Baffert said of the track's long-term future, “We need to make it work” (L.A. TIMES, 12/27).

ESPN’s relationship with the state of CT is examined in a page one piece in today’s N.Y. TIMES. Public records show ESPN has received about $260M “in state tax breaks and credits over the past 12 years” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/27).

WNDY-TV in Indianapolis announced that it “will broadcast the inaugural season” of the NASL Indy Eleven, starting with the April 12 season-opener (IBJ.com, 12/26).

Cincinnati Bell is “warning its Fioptic customers that it might not be able to reach a deal to keep” the Big Ten Network in its lineup. The channel “would go dark for Cincinnati Bell customers on Dec. 31 at midnight” if a deal cannot be reached (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/27).

The NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and the NFL are partnering with Verizon and the Broadway Green Alliance to collect and recycle electronic waste in New York and New Jersey. The two recycling events leading up the Super Bowl will be open to the public (NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee).

“It’s a little unfair, the scheduling, but that’s life and it’s what we have to do. It’s a grind, but we’re used to it” – Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball coach Chico Potts, on some small schools having to travel in November and December to play “guarantee games” to financially support the athletic department (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/27).

“I didn’t even really look around. There’s so many numbers flying around, it’s making my head spin” – Rutgers LB Kevin Snyder, on being part of a contingent that rang the NYSE opening bell earlier this week as part of New Era Pinstripe Bowl festivities (NJ.com, 12/26).

“They used to ask us to fill in forms on what we wanted to be when we grew up and I would always fill in ‘play-by-play for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ and leave it at that” – Maple Leafs radio broadcaster Jon Abbott, on landing his dream job (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 12/27).

“I always said, ‘Two things can happen. You can get exposure, or you can get exposed.’ We’re hoping to have great exposure here. You can’t buy the national recognition you get from a game like this” – UCF football coach George O’Leary, on playing in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Baylor (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/27).

"I won't green light any other movies because I realized I was the Antoine Walker of movies. I hit one three, and I kept on doing more. I should have missed my first three and stopped shooting" – Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban, on his struggles in the movie business after helping produce the documentary "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" (DALLASNEWS.com, 12/26).

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale: “Team officials involved in Tanaka sweepstakes say the Japanese star will cost a minimum of $17 million a year.”

Edmonton Sun’s Terry Jones: “Definitely good move by NHLPA to get extra day in the CBA to make it three full days off at Christmas break, minimum. Like a refresh button.”

Portland Business Journal’s Matthew Kish: “As part of its contract with @MSU_Football, @Nike gets eight seats in the ‘best available’ location for the upcoming @rosebowlgame.”

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

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Tech Terms.”

“In a July 1990 post Yisrael Radai called this seven-letter term ‘a word I just coined for trojans, viruses, worms, etc.’”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Boxing Day.”

For $400: “With a one-minute break between them, men’s professional boxing rounds last this long unless stopped.”

For $800: “As Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali fought in the Olympics at this weight class, not heavyweight.”

For $1200: “The first heavyweight match in the U.S. fought under these rules was in 1892 when Jim Corbett beat John L. Sullivan.”

For $1600: “Insectoid name for the professional boxing weight class from 108 to 112 pounds.”

For $2000: “Last name of the two brothers who both won gold medals for the U.S. at the 1976 Olympics.”

“What is malware?”

Correct responses to the “Boxing Day” category:

For $400: “What is three minutes?”

For $800: “What is a light heavyweight?”

For $1200: “What are the Queensbury Rules?”

For $1600: “What is flyweight?”

For $2000: “What is Spinks?”