Average resale prices for tonight’s Alabama-Clemson CFP title game in Tampa have reached $1,226, according to SeatGeek. That is more than twice the comparable figure for last year’s matchup in Glendale, Ariz., and the highest in the three-year history of the CFP. Current listing prices are even higher, with key marketplaces such as StubHub beginning at $1,649 per ticket. Numerous factors are fueling the price increases, including the drivable distance between both schools and Tampa and reduced ticket inventory in the resale marketplace. Eventellect co-Founder Patrick Ryan: “There’s been a lot of late momentum around this game and several factors driving up prices, certainly geography being a big factor here” (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).

Usher "slammed the door" on the CFP's Playoff Playlist Live concert series last night with a "performance that had fans lining up Sunday morning and shutting down Ashley Drive Sunday night." Surprise guest Lil Jon "ended up with almost as much stage time as the headliner" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/8). 

Goodyear's Wingfoot One airship tonight "makes its Tampa debut." The vehicle is "technically not a blimp but a semi-rigid dirigible." It is "sleeker, quieter and can stay airborne for almost twice as long as the traditional blimps the tire manufacturer is phasing out." Wingfoot One has a "maximum speed of 73 mph and, more importantly, is easier to maneuver" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/8).

The NBA holds its annual sales and marketing meeting today and tomorrow at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando. Top league and team execs will meet to discuss marketing, sales and sponsorship plans. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will address the attendees, and the league will recognize team business performance in a variety of categories. Penn Wharton School professor and bestselling author Adam Grant is a guest speaker, with other speakers including Palace Sports & Entertainment Vice Chair Arn Tellem and Magic CEO Alex Martins.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino "hopes his ruling council will agree" tomorrow to expand the '26 World Cup to 48 nations, playing in 16 groups of three teams. A decision "could be delayed if some council members demand to know exactly how many qualifying places each continent will get before agreeing to scrap the 32-team format." The organization's research predicts $6.5B revenue from a 48-team format (it expects $5.5B from the '18 event in Russia). Operating costs would rise from $2B to $2.3B, with a "potential profit rise" of $640M (AP, 1/8). As part of the expansion, FIFA has "proposed merging the CONCACAF and South American qualifiers" (REUTERS, 1/8).

Recently retired WTA star Ana Ivanovic is the latest tennis player attached to Israel-based smart court maker PlaySight, joining other tennis celebrities including Billie Jean King, Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras. Ivanovic will act as an “ambassador” for the company, appearing in advertising and branding campaigns. A company rep said she is not being paid, but declined to disclose her arrangement with the firm. PlaySight's technology is growing in tennis and other ball sports such as soccer and basketball, with teams such as the Warriors, Suns, and Purdue as early adopters. The technology collects data and helps with training.

A master plan for the new entertainment district east of Lambeau Field will be presented to the Green Bay Redevelopment Authority tomorrow. This comes after local leaders last spring "hired consultants to kick off a strategic planning process" for the area, which will be known as the Legends District. The project "piggy-backs" on the Packers' Titletown District, a "34-acre site being developed by the football organization in Ashwaubenon" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 1/8).

U2 will visit a slew of NFL stadiums and other major league venues during its upcoming concert tour. The North American leg kicks off May 12 at BC Place in Vancouver and wraps up July 1 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Tickets for the shows, which will have "general admission seating on the field and reserved seats in the stands," go on sale Jan. 17. The band "will celebrate the 30th anniversary of 'The Joshua Tree' this year by performing the seminal 1987 album in its entirety" (ROLLINGSTONE.com, 1/9). Live Nation "will produce the run" (BILLBOARD.com, 1/9).

The eighth annual class of “Champions: Pioneers and Innovators in Sports Business” are announced today and include longtime collegiate leader DeLoss Dodds, successful baseball exec Bill Giles, media pioneer Ed Goren, concession and merchandise leader Larry Levy, Basketball HOFer George Raveling and noted architect and urban planner Janet Marie Smith. Each of these recipients will be profiled in SportsBusiness Journal throughout the months of February, March and April. In addition, the Champions will be honored April 19 at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Dana Point, Calif. Read more about the honorees in SBJ.

The next scene showed Peter sitting on Curry’s lap, talking like a small child: “Dad, I dooked.” Peter then yawned like he was bored, fiddled with the microphone and pointed out a “fat lady” among the reporters gathered off-camera. Peter: “Make her go.” Curry: “That’s not how we talk to people.” Peter whined and said again, “Make her go!” The reporter then said off-camera she would leave, and Peter exclaimed, “Yay, I’m learning bad lessons!” (“Family Guy,” Fox, 1/8).

A plane carrying the Stars yesterday "landed safely at St. Louis Downtown Airport despite having smoke in the cockpit." The team had been in St. Louis for a Saturday night game against the Blues and was headed to L.A. to play the Kings (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/8).

Yesterday's Frozen Fenway event drew a combined attendance of 19,547 fans for the Hockey East doubleheader. Boston Univ. defeated UMass in the early game, with Boston College beating Providence College in the nightcap (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/8).

A "sellout crowd" of 45,050 attended the season-opening Monster AMA Supercross event at Angel Stadium on Saturday night (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE, 1/8).

“I wasn’t a walk-on; I was a crawl-on. I was one notch below a walk-on” – Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, on playing for the Alabama football team (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/9).

“Three games away. That’s how close we are” – Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross, on his team falling short of the Super Bowl (MIAMIHERALD.com, 1/8).

“Detroit is where muscle meets brains. We (had) the muscle for so long, and then the brains and the creativity part and all that was sitting in a few other cities, but now you’re starting to see that whole wave come here” – Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert, on efforts to revitalize Detroit (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/9).

“The players, we’re going over to try and get that win against Denver, and it’s not a vacation for us. Families will be enjoying the sights of London, but for us, it’s a business trip” – Pacers coach Nate McMillan, on the team’s game against the Nuggets in London on Thursday (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/9).

TORONTO STAR baseball columnist Richard Griffin writes under the header, "Why My Baseball Hall Ballot Includes Clemens, Bonds." There are "no actual guidelines" for HOF voters regarding PED use, so it "becomes a personal decision that ... the writers take very, very seriously."

Minneapolis businessman Harvey Mackay pens a special to the STAR TRIBUNE on Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari: "My definition of success is having a plan, successfully carrying it out over a long period of time and having a good time doing it. That's what John Calipari does."

Also: 

• Examining the role basketball has played in the Obama White House.
• NBPA now does more to help retired players like HOFer Earl Monroe.
• How wind damage to the Spectrum in '68 affected the Flyers.
• A broad look at the state of soccer in the U.S. at the start of '17.
• 49ers' firings of GMs, coaches have been messy affairs of late.
• Celtics' Jae Crowder upset gripe with fans became racial commentary.
• Pistons' move downtown triggers debate over use of public money.
• How the advent of the goalie mask transformed the sport of hockey.

It's weird how the NFL decided to schedule four preseason games for Week 18 before starting the playoffs in Week 19 this year.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) January 9, 2017

Flying to New York today to do some shows with MLB TV. See you all soon. You probably didn't know; on TV we can see who is watching.

— Bill James Online (@billjamesonline) January 8, 2017

Given the chance to do something unique or unexpected, Trump instead plowed ahead with the predictable, which means the Rams job is his.

— Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) January 9, 2017

That people thought Meryl Streep was "insulting" football is among the most hilarious takes I've seen on Twitter. Today, anyway

— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) January 9, 2017

Keeneland begins hosting its 59th annual January Horses of All Ages sale, with a catalog of 1,893 horses for sale, including broodmares and broodmare prospects, yearlings and horses of racing age (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer).

Bellator MMA President Scott Coker invited actress Meryl Streep to one of the promotion’s events after Streep threw shade on the sport last night in her acceptance speech for the Golden Globes' Cecil B. Demille Award. Streep criticized President-elect Donald Trump, saying, “Hollywood is a bunch of people from other places, crawling with outsiders and foreigners, so if you kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.” Coker wrote on Twitter, “Please be my guest at the LA Forum on January 21st and you will see that Mixed Martial Arts is truly artistic” (EW.com, 1/9).

Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Name the 19th Century Work.”

“'Modern bourgeois society … is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers … called up by his spells.’”

Actress Hayden Panettiere appeared on CBS’ “The Late Show” on Friday and talked about raising a daughter with her husband, boxer Wladimir Klitschko. When asked how she felt about the possibility her daughter would want to go into acting, Panettiere said, “Please God no. I hope not.” Host Stephen Colbert said, “Would you be okay if she became a boxer?” Panettiere: “I don’t know what’s worse.” Colbert noted, “Women do that now, too.” Panettiere: “Let’s go doctor.” Panettiere said when her husband has a fight, she has a “lot of anxiety.” But “over the years I’ve learned to settle myself and know that no matter how much anxiety I have, no matter how worried I am, there’s nothing that will change what happens in the ring. I trust him. He’s a big boy.” Colbert: “He’s a very big boy” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 1/6).

“What is 'The Communist Manifesto'?”