The WNBA Finals for the second consecutive year feature Sparks-Lynx in a decisive Game 5 on the Minnesota team's home court. For the Lynx, a win tonight at Williams Arena "would mean a fourth title in seven seasons." The Sparks also could earn their fourth championship, and a win would make them the "first back-to-back champions in 15 years" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/4). The two teams "produced spellbinding basketball" in the '16 Finals, and it has been "the same story in this year's." ESPN2 will air the game at 8:00pm ET (SI, 10/9 issue).

Meanwhile, Warrior Hockey and New Balance have signed Bruins LW Brad Marchand to a multiyear endorsement deal. Warrior will be Marchand's "official on-ice equipment provider," while parent company New Balance will "provide his off-ice footwear and apparel" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/4).

BAMTech is rolling out new features in the NHL mobile and TV apps alongside the start of the season. In the NHL mobile app, fans will now have live DVR functionality and a new game preview feature for iOS that showcases head-to-head team stats and team point leaders. The app, through integration with Ticketmaster’s mobile technology, will also allow fans to view, resell and share tickets directly from the app. For the NHL.TV app, fans will be able to customize the app to their favorite team, with all-new team pages and team video content.

MLB and W.B. Mason today agreed to a multiyear partnership that makes the company the presenting sponsor of replay review for the '17 postseason. W.B. Mason also becomes the league's official office products supplier (MLB). For activation, instead of seeing technicians that "carry out the headphones to the umpires during a review wearing MLB.com or MLB related attire, they will wear branded shirts and caps that feature the W.B. Mason logo." The company branding will also be seen in "stadium signage, digital advertising and social media platforms including the official @MLBReplays account on Twitter" (FORBES.com, 10/4).

Valero today announced a 10-year extension of its deal to title sponsor the PGA Tour event in San Antonio from '19-28. During Valero's 16 years as title sponsor to date, more than $122M has been raised for charity, including a tournament-record $11M in '17 (PGA Tour). With the start of the deal in '19, the Valero Texas Open is "returning to the week before the Masters" on the PGA Tour schedule. The move "almost guarantees many of the top players" will be in the tournament field (MYSANANTONIO.com, 10/4).

Infront Sports & Media subsidiary Omnigon today at the Leaders Sport Business Summit in London introduced a proprietary content management system called Corebine. The platform, designed as a more specifically sports and mobile-focused offering, will be marketed primarily to small and mid-size sports entities. It is now being used by Omnigon clients including CONCACAF, Serie A club AS Roma and the Champions Hockey League. “Our clients want to engage their fans, not just publish, and lot of the existing CMS products out there required a lot of customization and retrofitting to do what they need to do,” said Omnigon Chief Commercial Officer Dave Nugent.

“We are committed to serving as a business accelerator for rights holders and brands in all places where fans are engaging with sports, and esports is a growing industry with an exciting trajectory,” said Lagardère Sports President & CEO/Americas Andy Pierce. “The launch of SportsBusiness Journal/Daily’s first dedicated esports conference is emblematic of how that industry is surging” (THE DAILY).

Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha AD Trev Alberts said that he will "not be a candidate" for the AD job at the Univ. of Nebraska, his alma mater (OMAHA.com, 10/4).

The Hornets today launched their new app in partnership with California-based VenueNext (Hornets).

ESPN has signed Josina Anderson and Damien Woody to multiyear contract extensions. Both will continue to be part of the net's year-round NFL coverage (ESPN).

Real Salt Lake and ticketing platform AXS have extended their partnership as part of a multiyear agreement (AXS).

Loews Hotels will build its first St. Louis location as part of the Cardinals' $260M Ballpark Village expansion project (Loews).

"We're way underpaid as race car drivers. There's no doubt, doing what we do, the schedule that we have and the danger that we incur every single week, NASCAR drivers should be making NBA, NFL money" -- Driver Denny Hamlin (ESPN.com, 10/4).

"Everybody recognizes the need to be unified, have some solidarity in the discussion. It's not really a matter of politics. It's using the platform we have to speak for others. It's a goodwill thing" -- Bulls C Robin Lopez, on the team linking arms last night during the national anthem ahead of its preseason game against the Pelicans (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/4).

"It’s going to be weird for everybody. It won’t feel right watching other guys wear that maple leaf and they’re good players, but they’re not the best players in the world at that tournament" -- Avalanche F Nathan MacKinnon, on watching non-NHLers make up the Canadian Olympic team at the PyeongChang Games next year (AP, 10/3).

Congrats to @Judd_Sirott being named new play-by-play voice of the Boston Bruins at @985TheSportsHub. Coming to the Hub by way of Chicago

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) October 4, 2017

Justin Thomas PGA Tour player of the year -- and will savor it for 3 days before heading to Malaysia to start new season.

— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) October 4, 2017

The SEC has donated $100,000 each to Texas A&M & the University of Florida to support the needs of campus community impacted by hurricanes.

— Alicia Jessop (@RulingSports) October 4, 2017

The Wild Card is designed to bring added drama with one-and-done. Managers are going to use bullpens. It’s part of it. 4/

— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) October 4, 2017

Hearing NHL will announce Ray Whitney as newest member of the Player Safety Department sometime today. 1330 games, 1064 points.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 4, 2017

The Patriots posted this video to give viewers a closer look at the new team-owned charter plane.

Welcome aboard #AirKraft: pic.twitter.com/NGBAHvA27T

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 3, 2017

MLB Network’s Kevin Millar and Sean Casey will appear on NBC’s “Late Night” at 12:35am ET.

Surfer Laird Hamilton will appear on NBC's "Last Call with Carson Daly" at 1:35am ET.

90 million -- Rough number of homes in which MLB Network will be available tonight through next Wednesday, with the channel being offered as a "free preview on most pay television services" for the Divisional Playoff Series. The net is typically available in about 63 million homes (NEWSDAY.com, 10/4).