The ACC and ESPN have announced an extension to their current media rights agreement, which will now run through the 2035-36 season.
Per the announcement, ESPN has “…exercised its option to extend the league’s base rights agreement and ESPN will continue as the ACC’s media partner through the 2035-36 academic year.”
“We are pleased to extend our media rights agreement with the ACC through 2036, continuing our longstanding relationship,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN. “We remain committed to serving the ACC, its member schools, student athletes and fans via comprehensive live game coverage, storytelling and broad exposure across our unprecedented array of networks and platforms, including ACC Network. The ACC is a pillar of ESPN’s leading commitment to college sports and we are thrilled to continue the partnership over the next decade.”
ESPN’s contract with the ACC was set to expire in 2027, but ESPN’s decision to exercise its option extends the agreement for an additional nine years.
“We appreciate the ongoing partnership with ESPN and their enduring commitment that further solidifies the ACC as a premier league in all facets,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “The extension showcases the importance of our long-standing relationship, and I want to personally thank the entire ESPN team for their leadership and dedication to our collective future. In addition, I want to thank our ACC Board of Directors who have been involved throughout this entire process. The resolve from both parties to further enhance the partnership through innovation and creativity to continue to drive additional value remains our top priority.”
News of the ESPN-ACC extension was first reported Thursday morning by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. You can read that story for more details, but one interesting item is Notre Dame playing more prominent ACC opponents on a regular basis:
As part of a scheduling arrangement under discussion, the league’s biggest brands — Florida State, Miami and Clemson — are expected to play more football games regularly with Notre Dame. The Irish are expected to play, at the very least, two of the three each season in a rotation.
The ESPN-ACC extension also paves the way for the league to possibly settle lawsuits with Clemson and Florida State in order to retain both schools as members.
It extends the contract for 9 more years but at no additional payout to the ACC? Sounds like a steal for ESPN.
Go Syracuse Orange!!! Keep up the excellences ACC on ESPN.
The ND arrangement should involve Stanford playing them every year and the other 16 schools playing them twice every 8 years on a set rotation.
Notre Dame wants to end the season in California every year. In even numbered years they play USC Thanksgiving weekend. Notre Dame could play at Stanford or Cal in odd numbered years, even say once every 4 years at Stanford and at Cal. They then should play Miami, Clemson, and Florida St. 2 of the 3 every year. One at home, one away that way ESPN and NBC each get a burner match up every year. That leaves 3-4 ACC games for Notre Dame the remaining schools should play Notre Dame on some sort of even rotation. ESPN should also throw a little more money at the ACC from the guaranteed burner match up of Notre Dame vs FSU, Miami, or Clemson every year.
Currently NBC does Notre Dame Home games ESPN does Notre Dame games when playing ACC away.
Hope you understand buddy cheer on Your Irish.
DaveMealy517 I am Fan of Notre dame playing various ACC teams they do not need Clemson, FSU & Miami as regular meetings however there exciting to watch every once & then.
ND’s biggest rival in the ACC is Pitt. If any team should be a permanent fixture on ND’s schedule, it’s the Panthers. Stanford, BC, Miami, and GT are secondary rivals of the Irish, and should get more matchups than teams like Wake, VT, UVA, Louisville, etc. that have virtually no history of playing the Irish.
For an eight-year cycle, I would like to see ND’s Thanksgiving away game include four trips to USC (even-numbered seasons) and one apiece to Stanford, Cal, SMU and Miami.
And I’ll defer to Dan Rakow as to which network should broadcast each of those games.
Excellent News Jesper Dan is fully flexible who will televise Notre Dame Thanksgiving games I will let Big Ten decide even numbered seasons & I will let ACC decide odd numbered seasons.
Dan is getting more flexible to let Conferences to decide what games are to be shown on certain channels & just want let you know I actually did it for fun of it & I do respect Conferences & Networks most importantly of all.
Adios ACC in 2036
The ACC as we know it likely still won’t last prior to 2036, especially if both the B1G and SEC renewed revenue arrangements (both expire prior to 2036) further increases the revenue gap vs the ACC payout.
I am not giving up on ACC.