MLB Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred on Friday named outgoing Commissioner Bud Selig to a newly created role of Commissioner Emeritus, effective Jan. 25. In the position, Selig will serve as an advisor to Manfred and assist on special projects. For at least the immediate future and continuing in this new position, Selig will maintain his office within U.S. Bank Center in Milwaukee (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).

Sources said that Selig “will receive a salary of about” $6M annually in retirement. However, MLB Chief Communications Officer Pat Courtney said that the $6M figure is “inaccurate.” MLB also is “not revealing the number of years Selig will serve” in the new role. Courtney added that the “compensation and role for Selig is immediate and doesn't have to be approved by the clubs” (ESPN.com, 12/19).

MLS on Friday announced its '15 opening week national broadcast schedule, along with all of its clubs' home openers, as the league begins the first season under its new media rights deal with ESPN, Fox and Univision. One of the new aspects is that each rightsholder will have an exclusive "Match of the Week." Univision will televise a game on Friday evenings, primarily on UniMas. ESPN and Fox will broadcast back-to-back games on Sundays at 5:00pm and 7:00pm ET. For the first week of the season, which will kick off March 6, UniMas will show Fire-Galaxy at 10:00pm. ESPN will show NYC FC-Orlando City SC, the first match for both expansion clubs. FS1 will show Revolution-Sounders.

The Padres have selected Daktronics to provide a new LED video display system for Petco Park that will include the third-largest video display in MLB. The display in left field will measure about 61 feet high by 123.5 feet wide, making it nearly five times the size of the current display. Five new ribbon displays will be added to the seating fascia along each baseline and in left field. The field concourse will receive eight displays (Daktronics).

The ’14-15 college bowl season kicks off tomorrow with five games. Financial documents filed this summer by New Orleans Bowl Inc. indicated that last year's R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl generated $3.77M in revenue, with 58% of that via ticket sales. Last year's game drew its third straight year of record attendance, with each of those three games featuring Louisiana-Lafayette. Expenses were $3.64M, including $1M in payouts to teams. Tomorrow's other four games are all owned and operated by ESPN Events, and comparable financial data is not available. Also see a list of bowl gifts being given to participants (David Broughton, Research Director).

The newly created Camellia Bowl exists because the Sun Belt and MAC "asked for it." The conferences "coveted more bowl tie-ins, and they saw in ESPN a way to get one." Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said, “If you look at the number of new bowl games created in the last 18 months, they’ve all been done to accommodate the conferences that have been underserved by the bowl system.” Montgomery-based title sponsor Raycom "owns a station in Toledo, Ohio, about 20 miles from Bowling Green, giving it two outlets to publicize the game in the teams’ home markets." ESPN Events Senior VP Pete Derzis said, "We realize this isn’t Ohio State-Alabama in New Orleans, but we realize Montgomery’s got a perfect location" (NYTIMES.com, 12/19).

The Falcons' Association of Graduates has "canceled, or at least downsized, a pregame tailgate before Saturday's game against Western Michigan." However, Air Force Associate AD Jim Trego said that the decision "does not necessarily reflect the number of the team's fans who will be in attendance." Air Force as of Wednesday had sold 3,500 tickets to its bowl, "a number that probably falls well short of its allotment" (DENVER POST, 12/18).

UNC Wilmington is "getting a new look," with an updated "primary logo and other design elements" to be unveiled next month. The current Seahawks logo debuted in '92. Senior Associate AD Rob Aycock "called the design 'a wonderful piece of art,' but said the department needs something more 'aggressive' and 'aspirational.'" A year-long design process costing $26,500 was overseen by design firm Joe Bosack & Co., which also has worked with Mississippi State, Wichita State and Xavier (WECT.com, 12/19).

Bleacher Report has added Lars Anderson to its editorial staff. Anderson "spent 20 years with Sports Illustrated before leaving earlier this year" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 12/19).

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps on Friday was sentenced to "18 months probation and a year suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to drunken driving." Phelps, charged with drunken driving in '04, had "faced up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine" (REUTERS, 12/19).

The Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale will host four nights and one day of free concerts in January to “celebrate the home of Super Bowl XLIX.” The headline acts include Los Lobos, The Chainsmokers, Eli Young Band and Dramarama (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/19).

StubHub starting this month will expand its parking offering to more than 800 new venues, enabling a la carte parking for the majority of events listed on the service through its partnership with ParkWhiz (StubHub).

“We got them all back on Wednesday morning without New Orleans PD being involved, so that was a victory” – Univ. of Nevada football coach Brian Polian, on letting his players have an extended curfew ahead of Saturday's R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (RGJ.com, 12/18).

“In our head, the Olympics start next year” – Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, who was giving an update on ’16 Games infrastructure projects, on the city hosting approximately 40 Olympic test events next year (USATODAY.com, 12/19).

So sometime soon, the Padres will have a Heat-style presser introducing their new outfield: Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Wil Myers.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 19, 2014

Want a universal theory on current 49ers situation? Figuring out how to build Levi's made the Yorks believe they were untouchable.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) December 19, 2014

Anonymous donor gives $12.5 million to Florida to enhance UF’s academic experience, largest single donation to UF athletics

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 19, 2014

The grapevine has it that 1st order of the #MLS CBA is roster sizes, to be decided as early as next week. That uncertainty handcuffing much.

— Jarosi Sports Law (@JarosiSportsLaw) December 19, 2014

Tom Brady took to Facebook to share this fan art, depicting the Patriots QB warding off an attack from the AFC East rival Jets ahead of this week's matchup between the two.

Saturday

The Air Jordan 11 Retro "Legend Blue" sneakers will be released at 8:00am ET.

Sunday

Texas A&M will demolish the 10-story tower on the west side of Kyle Field. A ceremony will precede the building's implosion at 7:30am CT.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that he is planning to travel to Dallas for the Colts-Cowboys game as a guest of Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones.

FC Barcelona extends some multilingual holiday greetings to its fans around the world in this video/photo shoot.

600,000 – Number of Cyber Monday orders for sports-related goods processed by Fanatics.com's main warehouse in Frazeysburg, Ohio, this holiday season. The 550,000-square-foot facility "boasts 13 miles of conveyor belts that trundle between the four 'picking' floors" (GRANTLAND.com, 12/18).