• Pepsi Becomes Redskins' New Soft Drink Sponsor
• Tweet Links Allianz Life To Minnesota United Stadium Naming Rights
• San Diego Soccer Stadium Group Seeks To Have MLS Delay Expansion
• ATP Launching Digital Radio Channel; Will Broadcast Upcoming Events

PepsiCo has replaced longtime partner Coca-Cola as a Redskins soft drink sponsor. The deal grants Pepsi co-exclusive and wide-ranging non-alcoholic beverage rights for the Redskins and FedEx Field. The agreement also includes extended rights within the salty snacks category, in which the Redskins were already a sponsored by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay brand. The sponsorship includes mobile, TV and digital marketing inventory and in-stadium signage. Pepsi will leverage its new deal with limited-edition Redskins-themed cans and Tostitos packaging in the DC/Baltimore region. Pepsi also will be the presenting sponsor of the Redskins’ ‘17 season.

Coca-Cola was one of the oldest Redskins sponsor. However, that partnership could not be substantiated. Longtime Pepsi sport marketing agency Genesco Sports Enterprises negotiated the deal. The deal means Pepsi has sponsorships with 15 of the NFL's 32 teams. Pepsi has held NFL league rights since '02.

Minnesota United’s plans to "announce its naming rights partner for its new soccer-specific stadium got an unexpected surprise” yesterday when insurance company Allianz Life posted a message on Twitter. The company’s tweet read, “Soccer fans? You betcha! Allianz Field is the new home of Minnesota United FC soccer! #MNFUC.'" The post was “followed by a link that took Twitter users to a video tour of the planned new stadium on the team’s website.” Allianz's post was “deleted minutes later.” The MLS club is “planning a news conference” for 8:30am CT today. The Munich-based Allianz is “no stranger to sports stadiums outside” the U.S., as it is “affiliated with six of them” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/25). 

Allianz was close to a naming-rights deal on what is now MetLife Stadium in '08, but a deal fell through after press scrutiny and public outcry over the company's ties to the Holocaust (THE DAILY).

The SoccerCity project in San Diego, which seeks to redevelop the Qualcomm Stadium site, has been "placed on hold" by FS Investors as the group will now "attempt to get MLS to put off awarding its final two expansion spots" until after a local election in November '18. MLS is "not publicly committing to a deadline for the final two spots. Some league officials privately have said that they "don’t want to wait beyond the first few months" of '18. San Diego has "clearly gone from controlling its MLS fate to relying on an awful lot of other proposals to flame out" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/25).

The ATP today is announcing the launch of a free digital radio channel, ATP Tennis Radio, which will feature live coverage and commentary from the upcoming Rogers Cup in Montreal. It will also broadcast all the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Nitto ATP Finals, as well as the singles finals from the ATP World Tour 500 tournaments (including the upcoming German Tennis Championships in Hamburg and Citi Open in DC).

Available 24/7/365, ATP Tennis Radio is accessible through TuneIn Radio’s website, mobile and car apps, ATPWorldTour.com and individual tournament websites, as well as 200 connected devices such as Sonos, Amazon Echo and Google Home.

The Maryland Lottery and the Ravens have teamed up for the ninth straight year to launch to a Ravens-themed scratch-off tickets and second-chance drawings (Ravens). Meanwhile, the Packers and the Wisconsin Lottery at 1:30pm CT are unveiling this year's Packers-themed lottery games during a press conference at the Lambeau Field Atrium (Packers).

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones yesterday opened the 16-story, 300-room Omni Frisco hotel, which becomes the "tallest structure at the Cowboys headquarters, The Star in Frisco." The hotel is "jointly owned" with Omni Hotels Owner Bob Rowling and "includes a Charlotte Jones boutique," named for Jones' daughter, Cowboys Exec VP & Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson. It is the "first hotel owned by the Jones family" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/25).

The Verizon IndyCar Series released the “first images of a new generation of cars,” and the result is a “sleeker design, higher-performance technology, fewer body parts and presumably safer cars.” Engineers are “still working on a wind screen that could help protect drivers. The cars will result in “reduced costs for teams because the kits will be used” from ‘18-20. The cars will be “seen publicly and tested for the first time” today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (AP, 7/24).

Colorado State officials yesterday said that the school has "sold out" single-game tickets for its first football game at the new on-campus football stadium against Oregon State on Aug. 26 (Ft. Collins COLORADOAN, 7/25).

FC Cincinnati played La Liga club Valencia yesterday in a friendly at Nippert Stadium before an "announced attendance of 23,114," marking the USL club's "eighth-best attended match" over 34 contests at the venue. Valencia won 2-0 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/25).

Mercedes has "confirmed it will enter Formula E" for the '19-20 season and "quit" the Germany-based Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters touring car series at the end of '18 (ESPN.com, 7/24).

Doug Flutie, "widely considered" the greatest player in CFL history, yesterday made a "rare appearance" in Toronto as part of the Argonauts' 20th anniversary celebration of the '96 and '97 Grey Cup championships (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/25).

Rolex runs a full-page ad in today's N.Y. times congratulating Jordan Spieth for his win at the Open Championship (THE DAILY).

A T.J. Maxx store in Chesterfield Township north of Detroit is "selling what appears to be an officially licensed NFL T-shirt that proclaims the Lions 'NFC North 2016 Division Champions.'" However, the Packers in '16 won the division for the fifth time in six years. A store spokesperson said that the $4.99 t-shirts "found their way onto store shelves by mistake and the store will refund money to any customers who may have purchased the item" (FREEP.com, 7/24).

"Yeah, that's drama. But it's not necessarily the kind of drama that the league wants” – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, on the “Rich Eisen Show,” discussing the Cavaliers' offseason (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 7/24).

“I’m happy to be on the record. There is not an alternative schedule. Having NHL players participate in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games is not an available option” – NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, on NHLers playing in the ’18 PyeongChang Games (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 7/24).

“It certainly wasn't a guarantee. It was just that it would be really nice to play in a Super Bowl in Minneapolis. Not only is it a short drive ... I hear from fans all the time in western Wisconsin, and Minneapolis is a great city, and the new stadium is really pretty spectacular. It will be a really nice Super Bowl” – Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy, on joking with team shareholders that it would be fun to play in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis (ESPN.com, 7/24).

The OMAHA WORLD-HERALD writes under the header, "In Big Ten, Build Or Get Left Behind: Conference Cash Means Everyone Can Spend Big On Football Facilities." With the Big 10 officially announcing its TV deals yesterday, and "more money than ever about to pour into league schools’ coffers, more facility upgrades are within reach of even the Big Ten’s traditional weak links." Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said, "If you don’t have a state-of-the-art football facility, you have some explaining to do. It’s a commitment issue. It used to be a financial issue. Now it’s there to spend on something."

EPL club Manchester City has "become more a flourishing multinational corporation than a soccer club." A year after winning its first EPL title in 44 seasons in '14, the team’s ownership created City Football Group and "began expanding its brand to four continents." It is a model other European soccer clubs are now "scrambling to follow because of the wide-ranging impact that goes beyond selling T-shirts and tickets."

Also:

• El Clasico Miami rooted in Joe Robbie’s "unlikely, accidental love of soccer."
• Raleigh-Durham TV market still without Orioles/Nationals games on cable TV.
• New York State Athletic Commission still learning the ropes of MMA regulation.

Thrilled to announce I'm joining Stew's team as a national CFB writer. Can't wait for fans to join us for the start of something special! https://t.co/fVg7cEu34p

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) July 24, 2017

USA's Anita Defrantz favourite to replace John Coates as #IOC vice-president. Could mean 4 out of 15 female members https://t.co/pveb1t1cGS

— Nick Butler (@NickJMButler) July 24, 2017

When I see Dennis Eckersley in Cooperstown, hope "never was anyone else's fault" abd "the ultimate teammate" to his plaque

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 25, 2017

Dear everybody: @llcoolj and I will be practicing our @thebig3 4 Point shots together - or maybe we'll just play horse - and, hi. #BIG3 https://t.co/jkFeaMR81R

— Amy Trask (@AmyTrask) July 25, 2017

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

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Cinedigm and NHL Original Productions are releasing "Stanley Cup Champions 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins," which goes behind the scenes on the team's recent Cup win.

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

“When this school opened in 1845, the curriculum for the class of 50 had math and navigation, chemistry and gunnery and steam.”

NBC's Jimmy Fallon noted the White House last week named Anthony Scaramucci as the new Communications Dir, saying, "At his first press conference, Scaramucci claimed that he's seen Trump throw a football through a tire with a perfect spiral, swish foul shots in basketball and sink long putts in golf. That's a little hard to believe, but take a look at this commercial I just saw on TV." The broadcast then aired a "commercial" featuring a voiceover claiming to be from Trump who said, "Hey there kids. If you want to be fantastic at sports like me, then come to the Donald Trump Sports Camp. First, I'll show you how to be an amazing tennis player, okay, just like me. Boom, nothing but net. Plus, I'll teach you the secrets of tennis fashion. Look at that, beautiful. Then at the end of the day, I'll show you how to play beach volleyball. Is that Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun?' No, it's me, even sexier. The Donald Trump Sports Camp. No refunds!” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 7/24).

Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah discussed Michael Phelps racing a great white shark, noting Phelps did not actually race a real a shark, but a computer-generated version. Noah: "So the whole thing was a lie? A CGI shark? ... This is not a race, I'm sorry. This is just Michael Phelps swimming, that’s it. You can't add the opponent in later and say that it's a race. That’s not the same thing. Imagine that instead of Mayweather and McGregor fighting, they used CGI. ... I don't even know why we're doing this. Of course a shark swims faster than a human. This race has been run many times before. It gets reported in the newspaper as 'Swimmer Missing!' We know how it ends” ("The Daily Show," Comedy Central, 7/24).

“What is the U.S. Naval Academy?”