RALEIGH, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference has reached a syndication agreement with two longtime partners to regionally televise its football games.
The expanding conference on Wednesday announced a seven-year agreement with Jefferson Pilot Sports and Raycom Sports, which have jointly held the league's men's basketball TV rights for 22 years. The football deal begins with the upcoming season, when Miami and Virginia Tech begin ACC play after leaving the Big East Conference.
JP Sports had held the football syndication rights since 1984, and had a contract running through the 2005 season. The two companies expanded their relationship to grab the football syndication rights for the growing league, which will also add Boston College in 2005.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though the league said Raycom/JP Sports also increased its financial commitment to the men's basketball TV package, which runs through the 2010-11 season.
``I don't know how any conference could've had over the past 22 years a better relationship with a television partner than our conference has had with Raycom and Jefferson Pilot,'' ACC commissioner John Swofford said Wednesday at a news conference.
The syndication package eventually raises the number of weeks from nine to 11 that Raycom/JP Sports can broadcast games. It will also offer more split broadcasts, which would offer different games to different viewing areas.
The announcement comes a week after the league announced a seven-year, $258 million television deal for football with ABC and ESPN. The yearly average of that deal, about $37.6 million a year, is nearly double the yearly average of the old contract.
A regionally syndicated game is chosen for broadcast after ABC and ESPN pick games they choose to show.
Two key elements of last year's league expansion was increased TV revenue and the addition of a football championship game.
Boston College's arrival in 2005 will bring the ACC to 12 teams, which will allow the league to divide into football divisions and hold the lucrative league title game. That game is expected to produce about $6 million in extra revenue.
Swofford said Wednesday the two TV contracts were in line financially with what the conference had expected when it announced expansion plans.
``I guess the simplest way to say it is it's what the conference needed and it's where we expected to be financially,'' Swofford said.
Ken Haines, president and chief executive officer of Raycom Sports, said the addition of Virginia Tech will increase the intensity of rivalries within the league's existing geographic borders. He also said the additions of Miami and Boston College gives the league access to new markets, creating a ``dynamite syndicated football package.''
Raycom Sports is a sports marketing firm that owns and operates two LPGA tournaments and the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte. Jefferson Pilot Sports is a sports TV production and syndication company.
Monday
June 16th, 2025
11:42PM
