MLS released its '12 schedule today and the upcoming season will be the longest in league history, with 323 regular-season games beginning on March 10. Each of the 19 teams will play 34 games in '12, with every match televised live this season. National TV partners ESPN, NBC and Univision will broadcast a total of 89 matches, with 30 games featuring Canadian clubs on TSN/TSN2 in English and RDS/RDS2 in French. Early marquee games include the MLS Cup champion Galaxy's March 10 home opener against Real Salt Lake and the Montreal Impact's MLS debut at the Whitecaps on TSN (MLS).

Also today, NBC Sports Group announced its plans for coverage of the league. NBC will offer live coverage of 41 regular-season matches, the most of any league TV partner, plus five MLS cup playoff games. NBC begins its coverage with the March 11 FC Dallas-Red Bulls match on the newly rebranded NBC Sports Network. In all, 38 of NBC Sports Group's games will air on the cable net, while the flagship network will air three regular-season games (NBC Sports Group).

Sources said that Kansas State Univ. today will unveil plans for a $75M expansion project for Bill Snyder Family Stadium that would "create luxury boxes and a press box that would span the entire length of the stadium's west side." The announcement is expected at a Cotton Bowl pep rally at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Sources are "optimistic" that KSU "can break ground on the project as early as this summer, with construction taking place around the current press box, leaving it available for use during the 2012 season" (WICHITA EAGLE, 1/5).

Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment has entered into a three-year broadcasting and marketing partnership with Clear Channel Media & Entertainment, making WFLA-AM the flagship station of the Lightning. WHNZ-AM will continue to be the flagship station of the AFL Storm with some games airing on WDAE-AM. The partnership gives Clear Channel ownership of the "Cage Club" at Tampa Bay Times Forum for all events over the next three years, allowing its radio stations the opportunity to offer listeners promotional tickets. Clear Channel will also receive LED signage inside the arena (Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment).

ESPN today announced that a new primetime show called "Hill & Schlereth" will debut on ESPN Radio on Jan. 10. The show, co-hosted by Mike Hill and Mark Schlereth, will run Monday-Thursday from 7:00-10:00pm ET for the remainder of the NFL season, going to Monday-Friday after the Super Bowl. Podcasts of the show will be posted 30 minutes after each show, commercial-free, for download on ESPNRadio.com and iTunes (ESPN).

Triton Media Group's Dial Global today formally announced that the Dial Global brand name will be mentioned along with Westwood One during radio broadcasts of the upcoming NFL playoffs and Super Bowl. This comes after a stock for stock merger announced in August. Westwood One's 25th consecutive season covering the NFL playoffs will be part of the Dial Global Radio Network. Dial Global also announced its full lineup of commentators for the first two rounds of the playoffs (Dial Global).

USA Cycling has signed a multiyear partnership with Exergy that will see the renewable energy company’s logo appear on all national team and national championship jerseys worn by pro and amateur U.S. bicycle racers. Exergy also will receive signage and activation space at all 17 USA Cycling national championship events. The value of the partnership was not available, but USA Cycling signed a similar jersey deal with Grape Nuts on Jan. 2 that was valued in the low six figures. USA Cycling oversees professional, collegiate and amateur competition for road, track, BMX, cyclocross and mountain bike racing and has 65,000 licensed participants. It also oversees junior- and U23-level development teams.

The Exergy logo will appear on approximately 2,000 jerseys worn by development team members and national champions. Exergy came on board as a partner of USA Cycling in '10 to sponsor the national mountain bike championships, held that year in Granby, Colo. Wasserman Media Group, which began representing USA Cycling in early '11, negotiated the deal.

The Competitor Group has acquired the Austin Triathlon in Austin, Texas, and the race will become the fifth race in Competitor’s Land Rover TriRock Series, which features live bands along the triathlon route. The event will be held on September 3. The TriRock Series is modeled off of Competitor’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series of running events (Fred Dreier, SportsBusiness Journal).

Wagering on U.S. Thoroughbred races fell 5.65% in '11 "to its lowest point in 16 years," according to results released by Equibase. The $10.77B bet last year "is the smallest amount since" $10.4B was wagered in '95 (COURIER-JOURNAL.com, 1/5).

Adams Golf CEO Chip Brewer said that the company has retained Morgan Stanley "to review strategic alternatives," including a possible sale or starting a dividend. An unnamed source said that "potential suitors" for the company include Callaway Golf, Nike and adidas (BUSINESSWEEK.com, 1/5). Adams Golf stock as of press time was trading at $7.10, up 12.5% on the day (THE DAILY).

Switzerland's Olympic committee has asked Gian Gilli, who is the chef de mission for the Swiss team at the '12 London Games, "to develop a joint bid by Davos and St. Moritz to host" the '22 Games. Gilli will serve as operations director for the bid. A formal Swiss bid "needs approval from the country's sports federations at a meeting in April" (AP, 1/5).

"Blatter has to clearly state over the 12 months how he intends to dry out this swamp and if he fails there must be a possibility to remove him" – Bundesliga club Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness, to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, who feels FIFA President Sepp Blatter should be removed from his post if he cannot curtail corruption in int'l soccer (AP, 1/5).

"Tom's not the only one. We're good" – Patriots Exec Dir of Media Relations Stacey James, on fears of the SI curse with QB Tom Brady appearing on a regional cover of the magazine this week (BOSTON HERALD, 1/5).

"In a bull's lifespan, from his 2-year-old year to his 4-year-old year, it's very feasible for the bull to earn his owner half a million dollars" – Cattle rancher and former champion bull rider J.W. Hart, on the earning potential of bulls that get paid for bucking riders in PBR events (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/5).

Saints' official Twitter feed: "FYI: the photo of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome lights saying 'Here Kitty' is fake."

ESPN's Erin Andrews: "In Jackson Square hosting SportsCenter hits with the crew..dying for a beignet #fatinnola"

L.A. Times’ Joe Flint: “Fun rumor of day is MSG toying with a play for Dodgers TV rights or even piece of team. Asked MSG and spokesman ‘politely’ declined comment.”

Univ. of South Florida Executive Associate AD Bill McGillis: "Why graphics meetings with some vendors get painful...now we're talking about the "meaning" of green (i.e. Earth) & gold (i.e. Sun). Heavy. … Hitting the Sun Dome 4 hard hat tour at Noon with Twitter winners @Stew_33 and @BillsFanMonica. Hope they are bringing boots. Not pretty!"

World Series of Poker Tournament Dir Jack Effel: "Promise I'm not ignoring folks about the @WSOP Schedule. Please know we're working diligently to get it posted. Thanks!"

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

Grateful Dead spinoff group Further posted this photo on its Facebook page of Basketball HOFer and famous Dead-head Bill Walton dressed as Father Time for the band's New Years Eve show at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in Richmond, Calif.

This YouTube entry from X-Treme Video details snowboarding in and around Stockholm, complete with scenes of street jumps and rail slides, snowbound rural scenes and one rather ornery reindeer.

Clippers G Chris Paul will appear on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at midnight ET.

$265.8M – Total value of Albert Pujols' contract with the Angels. The figure includes his 10-year, $240M guaranteed contract, plus a 10-year, personal-services agreement that will pay $1M annually upon his retirement and bonuses for winning seasonal accolades and surpassing career milestones (AP, 1/5).