ESPN and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) have reached a new multi-year media rights agreement. ESPN will have exclusive rights to seasonal Football games and Basketball Championships.
What’s Happening:
- SIAC and ESPN have announced a multi-year agreement to feature football and basketball games through 2027.
- Beginning this fall, ESPN will air at least 22 football games across ESPNU and ESPN+, including the SIAC Football Championship.
- Additionally. ESPN will have exclusive rights to Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship preliminary rounds on ESPN+, and the SIAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Games on ESPN networks.
- As previously announced, ESPN will broadcast the inaugural Red Tails Classic, a college football event launched by ESPN Events to showcase Historically Black College and Universities.
- The Red Tails Classic will feature Tuskegee University and Fort Valley State University on Sunday, September 5, at 7 pm ET, on ESPNU.
What They’re Saying:
- SIAC commissioner Gregory Moore: “We are very proud to both continue and broaden our media relationship with ESPN to provide the SIAC with the best and most meaningful opportunity to showcase our member institutions and student-athletes on both ESPN networks and streaming platforms. We also appreciate ESPN’s commitment to our league, which will enable us to generate exciting live game content and produce compelling complementary programming for our fans.”
- Dr. Paul Jones of Fort Valley State & Chair of Presidents’ Council: “We are extremely excited about this new relationship with ESPN. This landmark Division II agreement will provide tremendous exposure for our student athletes, while showcasing an exciting brand of athletics in The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.”
- Collegiate Sports Management Group Chief Operating Officer Ray Katz: “We are privileged to represent the SIAC and support these superb institutions. By working with ESPN – the industry leader in sports television and streaming – the SIAC can showcase competitive games and talented student-athletes while securing crucial exposure for the conference and its constituents.”
- Dan Margulis, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions: “We are delighted to expand ESPN’s relationship with the SIAC for the next several years. One of the top NCAA Division II conferences in the country, we look forward to being the home for many of the SIAC’s biggest football and basketball matchups as we further spotlight their talented student-athletes and member institutions and continue our commitment to supporting HBCU athletics.”