SWAC media deal keeps conference football and basketball games on ESPN networks through 2030-31

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Southwestern Athletic Conference has reached a new multi-year media rights agreement that will keep league football and basketball games on ESPN networks through the 2030-31 sports seasons.

ESPN will annually air 10 regular-season football games across its linear and digital networks, the conference football championship game on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, and both the men's basketball and women's basketball tournament championship games on a linear ESPN network. All other rounds of the conference basketball tournaments will be shown on ESPN digital networks, and four regular-season men's basketball games will be aired across ESPN linear and digital networks.

The SWAC and the network's programming arm, ESPN Events, also extended the conference's participation in the MEAC/SWAC kickoff challenge game and the Celebration Bowl for six more years through the 2032 season. Those games in Atlanta pit the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference against the Southwestern Athletic Conference in a regular-season opener and a postseason game for the champions of the two FCS leagues comprising Historically Black College and Universities.

The challenge game began in 2005, when ESPN launched its ESPNU network. Alabama A&M plays Howard in this season’s edition on Aug. 29.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the network or the conference. The SWAC also launched its own streaming platform last year.

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