The "Pepsi Challenge is back," and the beverage brand has signed "a crowd of celebrities," including athletes like Serena Williams and Usain Bolt, for its new marketing effort. In a yearlong promotion beginning today, Pepsi "ambassadors" will "recruit consumers to participate in a series of challenges." Every month, the endorsers will "use social media to issue a new challenge – many of which blend social responsibility with popular culture." This comes as Pepsi is "aiming to expand its global presence, particularly in emerging markets" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/11).

PowerShares renewed its title sponsorship of the senior men's tennis circuit for another three years through '18. PowerShares, which is an Invesco ETF, has been title sponsor of the series since '11. The tour this year has 15 stops from March 24-May 2. The series, launched in '05 by Jim Courier, features former men's stars like John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras. The players have to be over 30 to qualify to play. Courier sold the company to Horizon Media but remains involved by playing in and operating the series.

ESPN’s Keith Olbermann appeared on CBS’ “Late Show” last night and discussed his recent suspension. Olbermann: "I’m kind of grateful that this happened because it would have been a bigger problem at some point down the line. I got into a dispute with some folks on Twitter and it got personal because on Twitter, you don’t think of anybody else as an actual human being. ... Somebody sent me something, I assumed it was negative. I didn’t read it."

Olbermann said ESPN told him, "'Tell you what, stay home a couple of days and let’s let it cool down,' and I went, 'Thank you.'" Olbermann said Twitter is the "first true sign that society is disintegrating." Now that he uses it less, he has "an extra hour-and-a-half to three hours per day. … Did you know I have two dogs? I only thought I had the one. I wasn’t paying attention" (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/10).

The Univ. of South Florida this week launched the Bulls Club Champion Seating Program, and Senior Associate AD Andrew Goodrich yesterday said the initial response is "very positive." Goodrich: "I actually spoke with one of our ticket sales reps who said, 'I literally have not had a bad phone call.'" The program "abolishes the requirement to make up-front donations prior to purchasing season tickets." This marks USF's latest effort to "re-energize a disillusioned constituency" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/11).

The BNP Paribas Open today opens main draw play at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which has expanded seating by 3,625 to make a "daily sellout now 45,110." Also, larger video screens have been added to the main stadium, and there will be a "new app that will deliver live streaming from several practice courts." Attendance at this "symbolic fifth major" now "reaches levels approaching" the Grand Slam events. L.A. TIMES headline: "Indian Wells Tennis Just Keeps Getting Bigger" (L.A. TIMES, 3/11).

The Sacramento City Council last night voted to "approve a contract with renowned artist Jeff Koons" for an $8M sculpture outside the NBA Kings' new arena. The agreement, approved by a 7-0 vote, also will dedicate $1.5M to "local art for the arena." An "overflow crowd descended on the City Council chamber for the hearing," and the vote came after "nearly three hours of passionate testimony from local artists and philanthropists" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 3/11).

Univ. of North Dakota President Robert Kelley yesterday tasked a New Nickname Committee with “electronically gathering nickname suggestions from the public, narrowing down the list and then letting the public vote on a permanent name” (GRAND FORKS HERALD, 3/11).

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the league is “talking with the U.S. government about playing exhibition games in Cuba.” MLB teams last visited Cuba before Fidel Castro’s revolution in ’59 (AP, 3/10).

A West Coast Conference basketball tournament-record crowd of 8,585 attended yesterday’s Gonzaga-BYU finale at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/11).

adidas once again created a Florist City Collection for Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard and Wizards G John Wall. The shoes feature “floral print designs and colors commemorating the spring celebrations” in Portland and DC (OREGONLIVE.com, 3/10).

“Dan doesn’t get involved, I know that” – Redskins President Bruce Allen, saying reports that team Owner Dan Snyder is actively involved in player personnel decisions are exaggerated (WASHINGTON POST, 3/11).

“Pretty crazy day. It was a day of ‘Really? Wow’” – Seahawks GM John Schneider, on the number of trades in the first day of free agency (MMQB.SI.com, 3/11).

“My challenge here is going to be to come in and really not want to touch everything. I’m used to coming in, touching everything and saying, ‘We’re going to do this, this, this and this’” – New Missouri AD Mack Rhoades, at his introductory press conference (COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE, 3/11).

"I still believe I would be able to win the Olympics. That takes 100 percent of your energy. It has to be the No. 1 priority in your life" – UFC figher Ronda Rousey, who won a Bronze Medal at the '08 Beijing Games in judo (NBCSPORTS.com, 3/10).

Last night’s 1:00am ET editions of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and FS1’s “Fox Sports Live” both led with men’s college basketball, featuring BYU-Gonzaga, Robert Morris-St. Francis, Wisconsin Green Bay-Valparaiso and North Dakota State-South Dakota State, followed by NFL trades and free agency news. The first NHL report for both networks was Rangers-Islanders, with FS1 reporting on the game 19 minutes into their broadcast and ESPN airing their report 34 minutes into their telecast.

Despite the NCAA tournament being the "best sporting event on the planet," ESPN's Jay Bilas has several suggestions to improve it, with his main goal being to "stop giving power conference teams extra resume-building opportunities."

CNBC notes there are "multiple examples of colleges previously unknown for their basketball programs that have prospered financially after making a deep run into the March Madness that surrounds the NCAA basketball tournament." And there is "no platform greater than the NCAA tournament for IMG College."

Also:

• NEW YORK MAGAZINE: Inside the chaos at NBC News.
• Darrelle Revis understands how to use free agency to get paid.
• Why crowdfunding college athletics is the "worst idea ever."
• Recent forum celebrates, interrogates state of basketball in Canada.
• Tiger Woods, sidelined with injury, takes aim at entrepreneurship.

The @NFL has literally turned into a Fantasy Football league and the @Browns are the guy that never logs in

— Jason Lawhead (@JasonLawhead) March 10, 2015

Revis has maximized his earning potential like no other player in the history of football. It's crazy his uncle (Sean Gilbert) hates the CBA

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) March 11, 2015

We can all argue all we want about best QB of all-time, best RB... but no denying Revis is on the NFL Free Agency Mt. Rushmore

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 11, 2015

There is never a good time for a @comcast outage, but Championship Week is most definitely not it. I hope @comcastcares really does...care.

— Amy Huchthausen (@AE_Commish) March 11, 2015

Comedian and actor Will Farrell plans to play all nine positions in Cactus League games Thursday, shuttled by helicopter to different parks.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 10, 2015

During his ATL visit, @BarackObama got shots up today inside Zelnak (via @GTWBB) pic.twitter.com/SlXaf1sOwz

— Chris Yandle (@ChrisYandle) March 10, 2015

Univision Communications reportedly has hired Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank to lead an IPO. The offering could “come in the second half of the year, raise more than $1 billion and value the private equity-owned company at as much as $20 billion, including debt” (REUTERS, 3/10).

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Nobel Laureates.”

“He was the subject of a 2014 New York Times article headlined ‘A Pioneer as Elusive as His Particle.’”

CBS’ David Letterman said, “Tim Tebow is coming back to the NFL. I’m telling you, this guy has been on the bench more than Judge Judy. I think OJ has a better shot of returning. Tim Tebow, you know, was originally thrown out of the NFL for using his personal e-mail account” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/10).

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Surprises At The Hillary Clinton Press Conference.” Letterman said, “Earlier today, Hillary Clinton held a press conference to answer questions about the e-mail account, and I guess the deal is the account was not secure, so therefore state secrets were being passed around through www.pantsuit.com” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/10).

10) “Entered whistling the ‘Hail to the Chief.’”
9) “Scrolled through e-mail on her iPad saying, ‘Can't show you that one...no, not that one...’”
8) “Different Hillary Clinton.”
7) “Between questions, took swigs of Kahlua.”
6) “Halfway through the proceedings sent a colleague out to buy melons.”
5) “Answered all questions by saying, ‘I'm just here so I don't get fined.’”
4) “Blamed the whole thing on North Korean hackers.”
3) "’Misheard’ question about Benghazi as a question about Ben Gazarra.”
2) “Waving wad of cash, said, ‘What'll it take to make this go away?’”
1) “At conclusion of press conference, asked everyone to delete her remarks.”

“Who is Peter Higgs?”

The particle is often referred to as the “God particle.”