The '15 Verizon IndyCar Series kicks off today with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on ABC, as Honda's and Chevrolet's new aero kits will debut. Not only do the new pieces "change the way IndyCars look, but they could have strategic consequences in the battle" between the two manufacturers (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/29). The kits are "designed to better visually differentiate" Chevys from Hondas. The differences between this year’s versions of the cars and last year’s "are startling" and are "expected to significantly improve both performance and safety" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/29).

Meanwhile, team owner Chip Ganassi offered a frank assessment of IndyCar's offseason, saying, "Name a business where you can take (seven) months off. I don't know of one, and I still think it's the stupidest thing in the world." Ganassi added long offseasons deal IndyCar teams "a slow death" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/29).

TBS' coverage of last night’s Kentucky-Notre Dame NCAA Tournament Regional Final drew a fast-national audience of 14.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in the net's history. Meanwhile, NCAA March Madness Live has recorded 67 million live video streams from the start of the tournament through yesterday, an increase of 12% from last year. The service delivered a record 5.2 million streams yesterday (THE DAILY).

Last night's Sporting KC-NYC FC match at Yankee Stadium drew a "soccer sellout" crowd of 27,545, but the atmosphere "was different" than that of the team's home debut earlier this month. With the upper deck closed and the ballpark "in its reduced soccer configuration," the match "hardly felt like a special event" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/29). Yesterday's game "was quite a letdown after the grand opening victory two weeks ago." The crowd "shivered through a soccer match that was unnecessarily played at night, amid snow flurries and temperatures dropping through the 30s." Meanwhile, the relative narrowness of the playing surface "arguably cost" NYC FC the match. Sporting KC contended that it "did not meet the sport's minimum standards" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/29).

The Mexico men's national soccer team yesterday defeated Ecuador 1-0 before "the 88,409 who descended" on L.A. Memorial Coliseum (L.A. TIMES, 3/29). Meanwhile, yesterday's Argentina-El Salvador friendly at FedEx Field sold "almost 54,000 tickets," but stadium personnel "was understaffed [and] two parents ... feared for their children’s safety because of crowd-control problems." The WASHINGTON POST's Steven Goff asks, "Why does the U.S. Soccer Federation continue sanctioning international matches at this soulless, mismanaged slice of hell? And why do people continue purchasing overpriced tickets to soccer events there? I just don’t get it" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/29).

Fidelity National Financial Chair William Foley, the prospective Las Vegas NHL team owner, is "now selling season ticket deposits to corporations and casinos for the first time after accepting payments for season ticket deals from individuals." Foley said the NHL "has no objection" to his group accepting deposits from large companies such as hotel-casinos. The Las Vegas season-ticket campaign "reached 9,000 on March 15" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/28).

Daktronics was awarded the $10.3M contract to "make and install" the scoreboards for the new Vikings stadium. The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority on Friday chose Daktronics "over 'several' other companies," according to a memo. Daktronics is "subcontracting" with Minnesota-based Albrecht Sign Co., which will "hang the scoreboards" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/27). Daktronics will provide "18 LED displays for the new stadium," with the main display measuring "about 68 feet high by 120 feet wide." The company will "manufacture more than 25,000 square feet of displays for the project" in total (KELOLAND.com, 3/27).

MLB and the MLBPA "expect to discuss the idea of a draft combine in upcoming collective-bargaining negotiations," in order to gain "access to amateur players’ medical information," according to sources. Exactly how it would look "stirs wide debate and will be a heated point in negotiations, which are expected to begin in earnest toward the end of this year with eyes on a new CBA before the current one expires on December 1, 2016" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/27).

The United Food & Commercial Workers' union passed out leaflets at four select MLB Spring Training games this weekend, "including two Cactus League games" today, in an effort to "raise awareness among baseball fans about the plight of minor league players who often make less than minimum wage." UFCW Local 99 Chapter President Jim McLaughlin and his union members today will be at Royals-Cubs in Surprise and Dodgers-Giants in Scottsdale. The majority of minor-league players "earn less than $7,500 per year, far less than a full-time minimum wage worker who earns around $15,000 annually" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/29).

Univ. of Texas men's AD Steve Patterson is tasked with making another key hire in the wake of the school's announcement that men's basketball coach Rick Barnes "will not return after 17 seasons." Barnes, who made $2.55M this past season, "has a buyout" of $1.75M that "would have decreased" to $1.5M on April 1. With a replacement for Erwin Center "expected by the end of the decade, Texas needs a coach to bring excitement to a school where football is an entrenched No. 1" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/29). The DALLAS MORNING NEWS' Kevin Sherrington asks, "Can a basketball coach win big at a football school in a state where football is king?"

President Obama yesterday golfed at the Floridian National Golf Club with Basketball HOFer Alonzo Mourning and sportscaster and former NFLer Ahmad Rashad. Mourning "has played golf with Obama several times before" (PALM BEACH POST, 3/29).

USA Swimming today kicks off its first annual marketing conference titled "#SwimBiz: Social Media, Sponsorship and Swimming" that runs through Tuesday (THE DAILY).

An under-the-weather Marv Albert missed last night's Kentucky-Notre Dame NCAA Tournament game and "was replaced by Brian Anderson" (USATODAY.com, 3/28).

DC United "unveiled a new look for its Talon mascot before its Saturday night home game, meant to make the eagle creature look more athletic, more physically fit, and more appealing to children" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/28).

WWE's Wrestlemania 31 takes place tonight at 7:00pm ET at Levi's Stadium, where "hundreds of media outlets" are expected to be on hand (MIAMI HERALD, 3/28). A "jam-packed" crowd is expected (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/28).

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson today "will not race at Martinsville Speedway" in the STP 500 after failing to "get medical clearance after fainting during an autograph session" yesterday (AP, 3/29).

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson yesterday "participated in a morning workout" with the MLB Rangers, who drafted him in '13. He "took ground balls and participated in batting practice -- and even hit a home run" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/29).

USL club Charlotte Independence on Friday night "energized a crowd of 2,241" at UNC-Charlotte's Transamerica Field while making its debut in the league (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/28).

"Playoffs in three years" – Fidelity National Financial Chair William Foley, on his expectations for his prospective NHL expansion team in Las Vegas (LAS VEGAS SUN, 3/28).

"I remember telling my wife, 'I'm not Fahrenheit.' ... I had become an inanimate object. I had become Kleenex" – Blues goaltending coach Jim Corsi, on one of hockey's most popular advanced metrics being named after him (GLOBE & MAIL, 3/28).

"Frankly, some of the media coverage of this has been shameless and reckless and the online attacks against people of our state -- I'm just not going to stand for it" – Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, on the state's recently passed religious freedom law that has been characterized by some as discriminatory and elicited concern from NCAA President Mark Emmert ("This Week," ABC, 3/29).

“The rest of the world operates in a free market. It’s really not that big of a deal. It’s amazing how we can all handle this free-market system, but the athletes can’t” – ESPN’s Jay Bilas, on why college athletes should be paid (WSJ.com, 3/27).

The S.F. CHRONICLE's Ron Kroichick writes under the header, "Youth Football Turns To Tech To Lessen Head Injuries." Pop Warner team Southern Marin Broncos last year became one of the first programs in the country to use Maryland-based Brain Sentry's system at a cost of $8,500. A sensor "is attached to the back of each helmet," and if a player "sustains a hit in excess of 80g of acceleration, a known risk factor for concussions, the alert light turns solid red."

The BOSTON GLOBE's Callum Borchers writes under the header, "Five Things You Should Know About Brian Bilello." The 40-year-old Revolution President, who studied at MIT and is "more nerd than jock," does not "fit the traditional mold of a sports executive."

Elsewhere:

• Portland OREGONIAN: "5 Questions About The Future Of Adidas."
• Why UConn's women's hoops team can't use Twitter during the season.
• N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE's Tyler Kepner interviews Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

Shoe companies often matter. Diamond Stone is an Under Armour kid. Maryland the flagship UA program.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 28, 2015

Chris Webber is good on TV.

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) March 29, 2015

The @CGRTeams hospitality tent TV situation is enough to shame most men and man caves. #indycar #nascar pic.twitter.com/fq9ywCR4i5

— brant james (@brantjames) March 28, 2015

Thanks to the folks at Turner for making me a part of the family these 2 weeks. I love working in the Atl studio. Everyone is first class.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 28, 2015

I know many of you already know this, but just FYI: Martinsville Cup race tomorrow is on FOX Sports 1, NOT FOX. First-ever pts race on FS1.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 28, 2015

Sorry, we don't run the cable business. @FOXSports1 belongs in basic cable pkg, like some sports nets. If it's not, complain to yr provider.

— Mike Joy (@mikejoy500) March 29, 2015

Patriots QB Tom Brady yesterday posted a video "of him jumping off a steep cliff into a pool of water." He added the caption, "Never doing that again," when posting the video to his official Facebook page, with the hashtag #AirBrady. The video in just a few hours generated more than 100,000 likes and 20,000 shares (AJC.com, 3/28).