The Cubs have reached an agreement "on a five-year contract extension" with President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein that is "valued in the neighborhood" of $50M. Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts said that he and Epstein "met four times over the summer" before finalizing the deal Saturday. The team "originally intended to announce it Sunday," but postponed it after the death of Marlins P Jose Fernandez. The Cubs by the end of the week also "plan to announce five-year extensions" for GM Jed Hoyer and Senior VP/Scouting & Player Development Jason McLeod (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/29).

California-based Opus Bank has agreed to a multiyear deal that makes it the official bank of the Pac-12 Conference. Opus, which replaces Bank of the West, will have an array of assets, ranging from advertising on the linear Pac-12 Networks to a full presence at league championship events and a robust digital package. The agreement also designates Opus as the presenting sponsor for the #12 Best franchise, Pac-12 Football Gameday, the gymnastics meet of the week and the baseball game of the week. The deal was sold by Pac-12 Networks, the conference's marketing and media arm. Exec VP Neil Davis oversees integrated marketing and sales for the networks.

Forecasters are calling for a "recently unprecedented 'rain event'" to hit the DC area over roughly the next 48 hours, and it could affect the Nationals "heading into the playoffs." If the Nationals cannot play today, "but home-field advantage is still at stake, they might have to make up their game" with the D-backs on Monday. The Nationals have already clinched the NL East (WASHINGTON POST, 9/29).

Meanwhile, with an 80% chance of rain in the forecast for Detroit, some "not-so-convenient possibilities have been presented" to the Tigers. If one of two final games of the Indians series were postponed due to rain, the teams "could have to play the final game at Comerica Park on Monday, should it be pertinent" to the AL pennant race. Given the situation, MLB "will try in earnest to get both games in." The Tigers are one game back in the Wild Card race (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/29).

Grizzlies co-Owner Steve Kaplan has increased his investment in e-sports team Immortals and joined the board, continuing the trend of traditional sports owners investing in competitive video gaming. Kaplan, part of the seed investment round for Immortals in '15, re-upped during the team’s ongoing Series A round. He will become the fourth voting member of the Immortals board, joining Noah Whinston, Clinton Foy and Gregory Milken. The Series A round has not yet closed.

Foy said Kaplan’s enthusiasm grew over the past year as he saw engagement statistics and as his fellow sports teams owners made e-sports deals. “He decided not to just double down, but make a serious investment into e-sports,” Foy said. Kaplan’s secondary investment comes one day after a group led by Wizards Owner Ted Leonsis and Warriors co-Owner Peter Guber acquired Team Liquid.

California-based Kitman Labs today will announce that the A’s are "using the company’s biomechanical and markerless motion-capture analytics system to help assess risk and provide advanced data to improve health and performance." A's Exec VP/Baseball Operations Billy Beane "joined Kitman Labs’ advisory board last season," so it "makes sense that the team would partner" with the company on injury prevention. Several other teams, including the Dolphins, "have implemented the system." By the end of the season, the A’s "will have spent roughly" $22M on players on the DL (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/29).

The FCC's proposed rules to "let pay-TV subscribers free themselves from set-top boxes may be in jeopardy," as the commission today is expected to vote on a measure that would require pay-TV providers to "make free apps available to let subscribers watch programming on other devices without the need of a set-top box." Content companies such as Disney and Time Warner "remain concerned about the FCC's involvement in licensing third-party companies," while pay-TV providers and others say that the proposal "goes beyond the agency's purview" (USA TODAY, 9/28).

U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte last night took part in a "charity exhibition" at the Ormand Beach YMCA in Daytona Beach in front of a crowd of about 300 spectators. Swimming commentator Rowdy Gaines "came over from his Orlando home to serve as pool-side master of ceremonies." Local swimmer Charlie Lydecker said that the event "raised about $50,000 for the Volusia Flagler YMCA and the Stewart-Marchman-Act Foundation" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 9/29). 

The Univ. of Nebraska student government on yesterday "unanimously passed a resolution supporting the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression" following last weekend's image of football players Michael Rose-Ivey, DaiShon Neal and Mohamed Barry "kneeling on the sideline at Northwestern" (LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR, 9/29). 

Heat F Chris Bosh has "fired his long-time representatives at CAA" amid an ongoing dispute with the club. He was repped by Leon Rose (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/28).

Team USA takes out a full-page ad in USA Today honoring its '16 award recipients: "Once country. One Team. Countless memories" (THE DAILY).

“I’m not worried about that at all. It’s no big deal" – Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts, on public backlash from reports of his family's newfound support for Donald Trump (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/29).

“This turf and the stability of it makes you a little nervous. I played on this stuff back in the late 80s. So, this is the astroturf – this is old-school stuff. So you don't want to be on it too much" – North Carolina offensive coordinator Chris Kapilovic, on the school's football team practicing inside Eddie Smith Field House following the threat of lightning (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/29).

"Is this like my protest fantasy league that I’m supposed to be checking? Did I get points from these guys?” – HBO’s Bill Simmons, on ESPN.com recapping all the players who protested and what they did during the National Anthem in Week 3 (“Any Given Wednesday,” HBO, 9/28).

The S.F. CHRONICLE notes FIFA's decision to disband a three-year-old anti-racism task force provides plenty of evidence that soccer's international governing body "does not operate in the real world." The "window-dressing approach is embarrassing and is something we should be wary of in this country as we continue to deal with this problem." 

Also: 

• Forget the Cubs, DC fans are baseball's real sob story.
• Jaguars Foundation does great work year round.
• Arnold Palmer, IMG's Mark McCormack set the bar for pitchmen.
• Sports mascots are finally getting their own HOF in Indiana.

Worth repeating
America in 2000: 65,900 reporters,128,600 PR people
America in 2015: 45,800 reporters, 218,000 PR people
(per @BLS_gov)

— Mike Rosenberg (@ByRosenberg) September 28, 2016

Edict: The Ringer will not be covering Tim Tebow's baseball career.

— Sean Fennessey (@SeanFennessey) September 28, 2016

Why doesn’t ESPN not show virtual strike zone like other networks do? Can’t be cost.

— bruce dowbiggin (@dowbboy) September 28, 2016

Jim Mora, Sr. is 81 years old and he can melt down just like he did when he was 65. I hope I'm that salty and vital at 81.

— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) September 29, 2016

Joe knew about the joe. #NationalCoffeeDay pic.twitter.com/MUdIfv3BoO

— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) September 29, 2016

President Obama is hosting the '16 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams at the White House. Joe Biden will attend.

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern will appear at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, in conversation with American Gaming Association CEO Geoff Freeman on how sports betting should be managed in the U.S.

UAB will hold a press conference to formally announce a multiyear shoe and apparel deal with Under Armour.

Sumner Redstone's holding company National Amusements has sent letters to Viacom and CBS "instructing them to consider a merger."  The request prompts CBS and Viacom to "establish independent board committees to explore the idea." The two companies split in '06 "during a period of questions over leadership and the growth of both businesses" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/29). 

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Historic Homes.”

“Also known as the ‘House of his Majesty,’ Fairfield House in England was the home of this African leader from 1936 to 1941.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “College Football Stadium Nicknames.”

$200: “The ‘House That Rockne Built’ houses this team.”
$400: “Here’s a white out at Beaver Stadium, also known as Happy Valley, the home of this Keystone university.”
$600: “This Big Ten team’s stadium is called ‘The Horseshoe’ because, well, it looks like a horseshoe.”
$800: “'Death Valley' is the home of the Tigers, this SEC team in 'red stick.'”
$1000: “'Death Valley' is the home of the Tigers, this ACC team in South Carolina.”

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon: “Tom Brady is on the last week of his NFL suspension, and he was photographed in Italy tanning naked. Just what we need, another Tom Brady ball scandal” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 9/28).

Last night’s edition of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” featured the recurring segment “Tonight Show Superlatives,” in which host Jimmy Fallon gave out awards to various members of the Chiefs and Steelers ahead of their matchup on “Sunday Night Football” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 9/28).

“Who was Haile Selassie?”

Correct responses to the “College Football Stadium Nicknames” category:

$200: “What is Notre Dame?”
$400: “What is Penn State?”
$600: “What is Ohio State?”
$800: “What is LSU?”
$1000: “What is Clemson?”