IMG Consulting has triumphed in one of the largest and most-scrutinized agency shootouts of '14, winning a review to handle Visa’s sports marketing activities consolidated across its biggest properties. Those larger properties include Visa's IOC TOP sponsorship, the FIFA World Cup and NFL rights. Those marketing responsibilities had been split between multiple agencies, including GMR, IMG and Team Epic.

For more on this story, read today's issue of THE DAILY.

San Diego State and Navy today will face off in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and ticket sales are "unlikely to equal the record-setting level of the 2010 game." San Diego Bowl Game Association Exec Dir Bruce Binkowski said that about 33,000 tickets has been sold as of Monday morning, "far fewer than the bowl record-48,049 who came out to watch" the same two teams in '10. Navy, allotted 10,000 tickets, had sold 10,800 tickets while SDSU, allotted 3,700, had sold about 7,500 (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/23).

Meanwhile, the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl will be played today at FAU Stadium and is the “only bowl game that pits two conference champions other than those” playing in the CFP. Conference USA champion Marshall will take on MAC champion Northern Illinois (BLUEFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/23).

Japanese baseball team Yomiuri Giants will be “outfitted by Under Armour in 2015,” under a new multiyear apparel deal. The pact was announced yesterday by the team and Dome Corp., “which is licensed to sell the Baltimore-based company’s products in Japan.” The agreement covers “game-day uniforms and training gear” (Baltimore SUN, 12/23).

Hawaiian Airlines signed a two-year extension to “remain the title sponsor of the Diamond Head Classic” through ’16. The deal leaves the airline with “an option through 2020.” The ’15 field for the eight-team men’s basketball tournament was announced this past weekend and features Auburn, BYU, Harvard, Hawaii, New Mexico, Northern Iowa, Oklahoma and Washington State (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 12/23).

TSN, RDS, Fight Network and the UFC have agreed to a multiyear deal for Canadian media rights for the MMA promotion’s global events. Bell Media’s TSN and RDS will broadcast major live events, preliminary fights of PPV cards, UFC Fight Night bouts and “The Ultimate Fighter” series. Fight Network will air UFC Fight Night and preliminary bouts for domestic non-PPV cards. The three nets will produce a live pre-fight program before PPV events and work together for sales and marketing of UFC broadcasts in Canada (Bell Media).

Dr. Jerry Punch has agreed to a new contract to remain with ESPN. Punch, who has been associated with ESPN since ’84, will return to the net’s college football and basketball coverage in various roles. Despite ESPN/ABC losing NASCAR rights in '15, Punch will remain connected to motorsports as a pit reporter on ABC’s telecast of the Indianapolis 500 and other Verizon IndyCar Series races (ESPN).

NASCAR surpassed one billion aggregate page views across NASCAR.com, NASCAR mobile web and the NASCAR Mobile app in ’14. The billion page view milestone marks a 45% increase from ’13, according to Adobe Omniture SiteCatalyst. NASCAR.com saw a 36% increase in average unique visitors, including a 90% bump in the month of November, which included the final three races of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (NASCAR).

Under Armour Founder & CEO Kevin Plank is highlighted on the USA Today front page as an American that "made a difference in how we lived, worked, played and connected in 2014" (USA TODAY, 12/23).

WFAN Operations Manager Mark Chernoff confirmed that John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman “will return as the Yankees’ radio team for 2015” (NEWSDAY, 12/23).

Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross said that GM Dennis Hickey “will return next season” (MIAMI HERALD, 12/23).

The Collegiate Licensing Co. today announced a five-year extension of its partnership with Marshall Univ. to continue managing the school’s trademark licensing program (CLC).

The NHL has unveiled an architectural rendering of the setup for the ’15 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park (NHL). View the rendering.

A crowd of 20,761 yesterday attended the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl between Memphis and BYU at Marlins Park (DESERET NEWS, 12/23).
 
An announced crowd of 15,947 attended last night’s Penguins-Panthers game at BB&T Center, which “easily surpassed the previous season high of 11,419 set at the home opener in October” (MIAMIHERALD.com, 12/22).

"Sport is the victim of limitations of the embargo. Sport is one of the main rights of the people, but sometimes there have not been enough resources" – Cuba Sports Ministry Dir of Int’l Relations Tomas Herrera Martinez, on the country’s deteriorating sports infrastructure (N.Y. TIMES, 12/23).

"Until five years ago, I had no idea I was going to buy a hockey team. I had no idea I was going to be living in Tampa Bay. I had no idea I was going to be working on a billion-dollar real estate deal development" – Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik, on his nimble approach to his business ventures (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/23).

"We’ve got 38 bowl games and I heard somebody on our air, Scott Van Pelt, who complained about it (and) said there are too many of them. Now how can you not love this? We have great football going on right now in December. This is awesome. I love it" – ESPN’s Danny Kanell, on the amount of college bowl games (“Miami Beach Bowl: BYU-Memphis,” ESPN, 12/23).

"I don’t go in thinking all right, I’ve got to broadcast towards these people who haven’t watched a single NBA game. But at the same time you can’t ignore the fact that some people might not be up to speed on certain things" – ABC's Mike Breen, on striking a balance for casual and hardcore fans during the net's Christmas Day NBA telecasts (AP, 12/22).

"I don’t even know where to start. There were 20 or so people who stopped doing everything they were doing for nine straight days and did just this. It was a lot of work" – Canadiens Owner Geoff Molson, on the Bell Centre staff quickly converting the facility into a proper funeral space for Hockey HOFer Jean Beliveau (Montreal GAZETTE, 12/23).

We expect better of our athletes, even in the face of a difficult loss. We intend to fully review this matter. I apologize to Cougar Nation.

— Tom Holmoe (@TomHolmoe) December 23, 2014

For those who think NBA schedule-makers only hate the Spurs: Clips in midst of a 4-in-5 nights, with each game in a different time zone.

— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) December 23, 2014

In the mail today: $61 residual check for my tiny role in "The Great White Hype," which was filmed almost 20 years ago. #yayhollywood

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) December 23, 2014

NFL says most markets will see 4 afternoon games Sunday. I presume that means no CBS blackout during Texans game on Fox but am unsure.

— David Barron (@dfbarron) December 23, 2014

Fun expensive fact of the day:Jon Lester new contract w/Cubs included a $30 million dollar signing bonus which is a new major league record.

— Jim Bowden (@JimBowden_ESPN) December 23, 2014

Last night’s 12:00am ET editions of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and FS1’s “Fox Sports Live” led with Broncos-Bengals and Blazers-Rockets. ESPN followed with Clippers-Spurs, a report on San Diego State F Dwayne Polee II collapsing in a game and highlights of the Miami Beach Bowl brawl between BYU-Memphis. FS1 followed with Raptors-Bulls and a report on Polee.

ESPN’s “Olbermann” did not air last night.

ESPN and ESPN2 will air a "30 for 30" marathon spanning more than 30 hours beginning at 3:30pm ET on Dec. 24 with "You Don't Know Bo."

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “American Authors.”

“Celebrated in April, National Robotics Week honors this man who coined the word ‘Robotics’ in a 1941 story.”

“Who was Isaac Asimov?”