Official estimates show that the Power Five conferences "will almost double their financial haul" under the new College Football Playoff system. Each conference will draw a baseline amount of about $50M "in the first year of a 12-year contract" (USA TODAY, 7/17).
In today's Must Read, the N.Y. DAILY NEWS runs an excerpt from Knicks President Phil Jackson's updated autobiography in which he details how his talks to rejoin the Lakers "unraveled" in '11 and '12 (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/17).
The Pro Football HOF announced that A-B Sales of Canton will serve as a beverage provider for on-site events during HOF Weekend in early August (Pro Football HOF).
Billy Joel's concert at Wrigley Field, scheduled for tomorrow, "will go on as planned" five days after the death of his mother Rosalind Nyman Joel (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 7/16).
The Greater Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission yesterday sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "urging the league to remove 'Redskins' from the Washington franchise's name" (TULSA WORLD, 7/17).
Portland, Ore.-based Lacrosse Footwear announced that "it has acquired Spokane footwear brand White's Boots" (Portland OREGONIAN, 7/17).
A crowd of 31,327 attended last night's Swansea City-Chivas de Guadalajara int'l soccer match at Miller Park, the first event of its kind for the roughly 42,000-seat ballpark (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL).
