Augusta National should see mostly pleasant weather for today's final round, with temperatures in the mid-70s, but experts are calling for rain in the evening. Whether or not it rains on the green jacket presentation, today's winner will take home an all-time high in earnings for The Masters, which is now "matching the Players Championship and PGA Championship with the highest purse in golf." The Masters this year will pay out a total of $10M, with today's winner taking in $1.8M. The total purse for the '14 Masters was just over $9M. Augusta National released the purse increase "with little fanfare" yesterday (ESPN.com, 4/11).

As Jordan Spieth continued posting Masters scoring records yesterday, CBS garnered a 6.5 overnight rating for its third-round coverage of the tournament, up 48% from a 4.4 last year. The 6.5 is the highest third-round rating for The Masters since a 6.8 in '11. This year’s third-round rating peaked with a 7.0 rating from 5:00-6:00pm ET.

ESPN's second-round coverage on Friday earned a 2.1 fast-national rating, averaging 2.952 million viewers. Last year's second-round telecast earned a 1.8 rating and averaged 2.465 million viewers. Coupled with Thursday's first-round coverage, ESPN saw both ratings and audience growth over '14. Meanwhile, Golf Channel had its most-viewed Masters week coverage on record, up 39% over last year for coverage Monday-Friday (THE DAILY).

Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis and coach Peter Horachek were "fired on Sunday after the Maple Leafs suffered through one of their worst seasons on record." Assistant GM Kyle Dubas and Dir of Player Personnel Mark Hunter "will share the general manager’s duties until a new one is found" (THESTAR.com, 4/12). Team President Brendan Shanahan and Maple Leafs players "are set to address the media Monday afternoon at Air Canada Centre" (CP, 4/12).

Schools across the country held their annual spring football games this weekend, highlighted by Nebraska, which drew 76,881 fans to Memorial Stadium. The game marked the debut of new coach Mike Riley (AP, 4/11). Oklahoma's spring game drew 42,807 fans to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (DALLASNEWS.com, 4/11). An announced crowd of 22,788 attended USC's spring game at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum (L.A. TIMES, 4/12). An estimated 10,100 fans watched Minnesota's spring game at TCF Bank Stadium (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/12). TCU drew about 10,000 for the school's spring game at Amon G. Carter Stadium (DALLASNEWS.com, 4/11).

USL club Sacramento Republic FC opened its home schedule yesterday, hosting LA Galaxy II "before a record number of fans," with 10,906 on hand at Bonney Field. The record "soon will be broken because construction to expand the stadium is not finished." Republic FC President Warren Smith said that the "ultimate goal remains a spot in MLS and the team’s effort toward building a downtown stadium" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/12).

Meanwhile, NASL club Indy Eleven "hosted its 15th straight sellout, this time with a crowd of 10,524" at IUPUI's Carroll Stadium (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/12). Elsewhere, the NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies hosted Minnesota United at a "sold-out" Al Lang Stadium in front of 7,010 fans (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/12).

The Islanders last night played their final regular-season game at Nassau Coliseum, and the contest "was free to be a celebration 43 years in the making rather than an abrupt farewell," with the team having already qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The mood "was set to Party Time from the start, inside and outside the old barn, beginning with parking lots full of tailgaters on a fine spring day." Islanders C John Tavares: "The atmosphere was incredible" (NEWSDAY, 4/12). The crowd was "treated to a video tribute" and Hockey HOFer Al Arbour's family "dropping the puck before the game" (NEWSDAY, 4/12). NEWSDAY headline: "Islanders Fans Melancholy At Last Regular Season Game At Coliseum."

Today's N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE offers a look at the 76ers' season under the header, "How Low Can The Philadelphia 76ers Go?" Author Michael Sokolove "followed the Sixers off and on for months this season, trying to understand how the team’s quixotic plan was progressing." Sixers Managing Owner Josh Harris said, "The ultimate goal is to be an elite NBA franchise that is competing for the top spots. That’s what we want to do. In order to do that, you need the best players. You can acquire those players three ways -- drafting, trading or free agency -- and we intend to use all three ways" (N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE, 4/12 issue).

The Univ. of South Florida on Thursday and Friday held its first Sports & Entertainment Analytics Conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. Among the speakers were Rays Dir of Financial Planning & Analysis Jason Gray, Buccaneers Manager of Insight & Strategy John Breedlove, Lightning Dir of Business Strategy & Analytics Chris Kamke and NBA Associate VP/Team Marketing & Business Operations Matt Wolf, as well as "their counterparts from ESPN, NASCAR and NBC." The conference was "organized by USF business professor Michael Mondello" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/11).

Tennis player Andy Murray yesterday "married long-term girlfriend Kim Sears" at Dunblane Cathedral in Scotland (AP, 4/11).

Providence College defeated Boston Univ. last night in the NCAA men's hockey championship game before a crowd of 18,022 at TD Garden (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/12).

Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald "expressed renewed optimism on Friday that a financing plan for a new downtown Milwaukee arena plan will be approved" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/11).

Sources said that Browns QB Johnny Manziel "has been released from a rehab treatment facility." The Browns expect him to "attend offseason workouts starting April 20, though they could see him earlier than that" (ESPN.com, 4/11).

The NBA is "probing the events surrounding the arrest and injury" of Hawks F Thabo Sefolosha. The league "wouldn't go so far as to characterize its efforts as an official investigation, but a source close to the situation expects the league to do so in short order" (ESPN.com, 4/11).

Baseball HOFer Jim Palmer "threw out the ceremonial first pitch" at the Orioles' home opener Friday (Baltimore SUN, 4/11). Meanwhile, the Orioles today will hold "Kids' Opening Day," which "offers young fans a chance to meet players and run out onto the field" (Baltimore SUN, 4/12).

"I don’t know him. Even though we live half a mile from each other, I wouldn’t have said one word to Tiger Woods in 10 years. (2011) Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, we probably said four words and that’s it, you know. Which is kinda strange” – Golfer Greg Norman, during an interview this weekend on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger" (SI.com, 4/9).

"He messed up. He needs to be punished" – Mets 3B David Wright, on teammate Jenrry Mejia's 80-game suspension for testing positive for Stanozolol (N.Y. POST, 4/12).

“This is a shameful thing that he is doing, because he doesn’t like looking like a fool in front of the rest of the baseball world” – N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, on Angels Owner Arte Moreno's comments that he could possibly avoid paying all of the current contract for OF Josh Hamilton ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 4/12).

"I'm a very opinionated guy. I think people mistake that a lot of times for that I think I'm (always) right. My opinion is my opinion. It doesn't make me right. It just makes me me" – ESPN's Curt Schilling (NEWSDAY, 4/12).

"We'll host it. No doubt" – U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, on possibly staging the '26 FIFA World Cup (L.A. TIMES, 4/11).

"Should you be out there? The answer’s probably not. Would I do it again? Yes, I would. But that’s football. That’s the way I was raised. If you can’t play with pain, you can’t play the game" – Pro Football HOFer Emmitt Smith, on why he thinks NFLers endure the pain that can come with the game (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/11).

The S.F. CHRONICLE's Ann Killion "took a pilgrimage" to Candlestick Park, where she experienced her first Opening Day. The former home of the Giants and 49ers is "disappearing," with the east side of the stadium already "mostly gone." But the site is "still lovely, right on the bay, with a view of the East Bay" and downtown S.F. It is "still puzzling why the site couldn't somehow have been made into an adequate spot for a new stadium."

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS' Kate Hairopoulos writes SEC presidents and chancellors are "counting on" incoming Commissioner Greg Sankey to have learned a lot from his predecessor, Mike Slive. Sankey's decision-making "will lead in the new era when the power five conferences have autonomy to determine how they operate, a position Slive and Sankey fought for."

Elsewhere:

• NASCAR's Steve O’Donnell addresses hot-button issues in extensive Q&A.
• The ’81 MLB players strike is what got Indy Eleven GM Peter Wilt into soccer.
• N.Y. POST offers: "The 2 Rules MLB Should Adopt To Fix Declining Offense."
• The movement in the NHL toward advanced metrics "continues to evolve."

CSN Chicago debuts "Believe: The Story Of the 2005 Chicago White Sox" at 7:00pm CT. The film is narrated by actor Mandy Patinkin.

I love what the league does with the "NBA Officiating Last Two Minute Report". Honesty and transparency is huge on every level. Good stuff.

— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) April 11, 2015

Bravo to Rogers who are using the new NHL TV deal in Canada to their advantage today flexing all the big games to national TV today...

— Ian Cameron (@bobano) April 11, 2015

...similar to what NBC does late in NFL season for SNF although the difference is it's multiple games on multiple channels today.

— Ian Cameron (@bobano) April 11, 2015

Last nights @XFINITY race replay is on... Takeaway from it so far: @JeffGordonWeb needs to be in the broadcast booth on a permanent basis.

— Regan Smith (@ReganSmith) April 11, 2015

Bad lie: TV for #indycar race goes on-air as Tiger Woods tees off at Masters. Green flag scheduled 5 minutes before Jordan Spieth does same.

— brant james (@brantjames) April 12, 2015

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

Newest #leaked Browns uniforms appear to be...orange

A photo posted by @sportsgriddotcom on Apr 7, 2015 at 10:15am PDT