ESPN and SWAC Reach New Multi-Year Media Rights Agreement

A new multi-year media rights agreement has been reached by ESPN and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

What's Happening:

• ESPN and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) have reached a new multi-year media rights agreement that will bring conference football and basketball competition to ESPN networks through the 2030-31 academic year.
• The global rights agreement includes championship and regular-season coverage across ESPN’s linear and digital networks.
• Under the agreement, ESPN will annually present:
  • 10 regular-season football games on ESPN networks and ESPN+
  • The SWAC Football Championship on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
  • The SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship on a linear ESPN network
  • The SWAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship on a linear ESPN network
  • All other rounds of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments on ESPN digital networks
  • Four regular-season men’s basketball games on ESPN networks or ESPN+
• Separately, ESPN Events and the SWAC have extended the conference’s participation in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Cricket Celebration Bowl through 2032. The six-year renewal ensures the continuation of two marquee events that serve as annual celebrations of HBCU football in Atlanta.
• The Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff – which first began in 2005 – takes center stage in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 29, as Alabama A&M faces Howard in primetime (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). ESPN Events’ 11th edition of the Cricket Celebration Bowl is set for Saturday, Dec. 12 at noon on ABC, as the champions of the SWAC and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) face off in the National Championship for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

What They're Saying:

• Mallory Kenny, director, programming & acquisitions, ESPN: “The SWAC consistently delivers exciting competition, passionate fan engagement and some of the most anticipated championship events in HBCU athletics. The SWAC has been a valued teammate of ours since the launch of ESPNU in 2005, and we’re pleased to continue bringing the conference’s premier football and basketball events to fans across our networks and expanding the visibility of the student-athletes and programs that make the SWAC such a significant part of college sports.”
• SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland: “Our continued partnership with ESPN reflects the strength, tradition and national appeal of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. This agreement ensures our student-athletes, coaches and member institutions will continue to receive premier national exposure while showcasing the excellence of SWAC football and basketball to audiences across the country. We are excited to build on this longstanding relationship and continue elevating the SWAC brand for years to come.”
• John T. Grant, Executive Director of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Celebration Bowl: "The SWAC’s rich football heritage and passionate fan support have helped make the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Celebration Bowl two of the most anticipated events in HBCU sports. We are excited to continue showcasing the energy, tradition and excellence that define SWAC football over the next six years. Each year, these events bring together teams, alumni and fans in Atlanta to celebrate the very best of HBCU football and create memorable moments that resonate far beyond the playing field.”

The SWAC:

• In 1920, eight men representing six colleges from the state of Texas met to discuss collegiate athletics and the many challenges that faced their respective institutions. By the time the session in Houston had concluded, they had founded an athletic league that has slowly became one of the leading sports associations in the world of collegiate athletics, the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
• The founding fathers of the original "Super Six" were C.H. Fuller of Bishop College, Red Randolph and C.H. Patterson of Paul Quinn, E.G. Evans, H.J. Evans and H.J. Starns of Prairie View A&M, D.C. Fuller of Texas College and G. Whitte Jordan of Wiley College.
• The SWAC is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams. The league continues to set the bar for college football attendance leading all Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conferences for 44 of the past 45 seasons as of 2023. 
• Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis. Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.