Administrator at prominent ACC school points to reworked contract with ESPN
If you read our big Pac-12-ACC chessboard piece last week, which is one of the most-read pieces in our site’s young (three-year) existence, you read analysis about the ACC from Jeffrey Fann of the ACC-specific website All Sports Discussion.
Jeff picked up a very newsworthy comment from the chancellor of the University of North Carolina, Kevin Guskiewicz, via Chapel Hill radio station WCHL (97.9 FM).
Here is that comment from Guskiewicz:
Nevertheless, Guskiewicz said he remains hopeful UNC and the league could work out a new deal.
“I’m optimistic we’re gonna get a better contract,” he said. “I think ESPN recognizes the importance of a strong ACC, which it really is. It’s an incredibly strong conference.”
Let’s be clear about this statement. There is no imminent deal. The specifics of an arrangement are nowhere to be found. One should not presume the parameters of the deal.
What one should reasonably conclude is that ESPN is not going to open up the ACC grant of rights to the extent that schools can get out of it. That almost certainly will not happen. However, one can certainly see ESPN coming to ACC schools — who are unhappy with the TV package they currently have — and sliding more money to each ACC school to sweeten the current deal. That seems likely.
Whether an ACC-Pac-12 merger would be part of that? It’s hard to know, but that merger does give ACC schools another avenue if they think it’s worth pursuing.
So, don’t assume this means an ACC-Pac-12 merger is in the works. Do assume that ESPN is gearing up to strengthen the ACC, which is certainly going to be noticed by Pac-12 schools, George Kliavkoff, and other power brokers in college sports.
If you read our big Pac-12-ACC chessboard piece last week, which is one of the most-read pieces in our site's young (three-year) existence, you read analysis about the ACC from Jeffrey Fann of the ACC-specific website All Sports Discussion. Jeff picked up a very ne
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