Takedown Report

The Southern Conference and ESPN Announce Multi-Year Media Rights Extension

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference and ESPN announced today a multi-year extension of their media rights agreement, continuing a longstanding relationship that will provide unprecedented national linear and digital exposure for SoCon athletics across ESPN’s industry-leading networks through the 2031-32 academic year.  
The extended agreement represents an expanded commitment by ESPN, anchored by a robust slate of regular season and championship broadcasts across ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, along with
comprehensive digital distribution through ESPN’s direct-to-consumer services. 
Full Breakdown
Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, the SoCon will feature a record number of national regular season and conference championship events on ESPN’s linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.  
Men’s basketball coverage will see notable expansion under the agreement. The Ingles SouthernConference Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game will be telecast on ESPN for multiple years of the deal, with the semifinal contests presented across ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.  
For the first time, the league is also guaranteed regular season men’s basketball games on ESPN or ESPN2 … more at …
https://vmikeydets.com/news/2026/3/9/athletics-the-southern-conference-and-espn-announce-multi-year-media-rights-extension.aspx

March 14, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized