The Southland Conference and ESPN have announced a six-year extension to their current media rights agreement, which will now run through the 2030-31 season.
Under the new enhanced agreement, the Southland Conference will have the opportunity to have one additional football game aired live on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU:
Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, the enhanced agreement will feature select men’s and women’s basketball contests and an additional marquee event from football, basketball, baseball, or softball, airing live on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU. These games may be chosen as a “flex pick,” a dynamic programming feature that allows the most compelling Southland matchup to be elevated into a prime national broadcast slot, showcasing the conference’s excellence on a broader stage.
Southland home football games not selected for a linear television network will continue to be available to stream via ESPN+ and the ESPN App.
“We’re proud to strengthen our long-standing relationship with ESPN as we continue to raise the profile of the Southland Conference and its member institutions,” said Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant. “This elevated collaboration isn’t just about airtime, it’s about giving our student-athletes, their families, and our communities a national stage worthy of their relentless pursuit of excellence. With more prime-time opportunities, high-stakes matchups, and hundreds of school-produced broadcasts across ESPN+ and the ESPN App, we’re putting the heart of Southland competition in front of a wider audience than ever before. ESPN’s reach and reputation make them the perfect collaborator to showcase the resilient and passionate spirit that defines our programs and our people.”
Also per the release, Southland Conference football programs will be featured in “…two FCS Kickoff weekend games over the next six years, including the previously secured 2026 matchup.” We reached out to ESPN for more information on that 2026 matchup and will report any additional details.
“ESPN has enjoyed a longstanding, collaborative relationship with the Southland Conference, which we’re excited to continue through this extension of our agreement,” said Mallory Kenny, ESPN Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “We look forward to showcasing more of the conference’s member institutions and student-athletes on a national stage in the years ahead across ESPN platforms.”
ESPN is being smart. Lock up as much inventory as you can before it explodes
FCS games really deserve more TV airtimes.
Thanks to ESPN+, a lot more FCS games get exposure now.
All this is, if you read it, is a six-year extension to their current deal. The only thing they are adding is ONE ADDITIONAL game on one of the ESPN networks. How many do they have now? None?
The Big Sky has basically the same deal with ESPN, but four games per year on the ESPN networks.
This year, you have Incarnate Word from here in San Antonio that is worthy of playing a game in a network time slot.
ESPN Network is ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. You can expect to have any SLC game on ESPNU.
I don’t know if its thanks to ESPN for all these games, they are making a lot of money on the deal. I have been streaming Montana football games since around 2000, starting with a free link on their website. Later, that changed to having it on a slight delay with a downloaded viewer. Then they were on Pluto for free streaming before ESPN got a hold of it to stream them on ESPN+, and so I have to PAY for ESPN to watch the game.
I don’t want to thank ESPN for that.