Southern Conference and ESPN Extend Media Rights Deal

New agreement provides expanded national coverage for SoCon athletics through 2032

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Southern Conference and ESPN have announced a multi-year extension of their media rights agreement, continuing a longstanding partnership that will provide unprecedented national linear and digital exposure for SoCon athletics across ESPN's networks through the 2031-32 academic year. The expanded deal includes a significant increase in national television coverage for SoCon men's and women's basketball, as well as comprehensive digital distribution of SoCon events across ESPN's platforms.

Why it matters

This extension solidifies ESPN as the primary national platform for Southern Conference athletics, ensuring the conference's student-athletes and programs receive significant exposure on the industry-leading sports network. The deal represents a major commitment by ESPN to the SoCon, providing the conference with unparalleled visibility and the ability to reach a broad audience across the country.

The details

Under the new agreement, the SoCon will see a record number of regular season and championship events aired on ESPN's linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU. Men's basketball coverage will be notably expanded, with the conference tournament championship game airing on ESPN and semifinal contests on ESPN networks. For the first time, the SoCon women's basketball tournament final will also be televised on ESPNU annually. Additionally, a minimum of 750 SoCon events per year will be streamed across ESPN's digital platforms.

  • The extended agreement begins in the 2026-27 academic year and runs through the 2031-32 season.

The players

Southern Conference

A NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference comprising 10 member institutions located in the Southeastern United States.

ESPN

The major American basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%).

Michael Cross

The Commissioner of the Southern Conference.

Mallory Kenny

The Director of Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN.

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What they’re saying

“This six-year extension with ESPN enhances national exposure opportunities for our member institutions, reinforcing ESPN's confidence in Southern Conference athletics and our commitment to excellence.”

— Michael Cross, Southern Conference Commissioner (vmikeydets.com)

“ESPN is pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with the Southern Conference. This updated agreement reaffirms ESPN's commitment to highlighting the achievements of SoCon student-athletes and its member institutions, and to ensuring their stories continue to reach a broad audience across our networks.”

— Mallory Kenny, ESPN Director of Programming & Acquisitions (vmikeydets.com)

What’s next

Additional details regarding schedules, network designations, and production will be announced closer to the start of each season.

The takeaway

This landmark media rights extension solidifies ESPN's position as the premier national platform for Southern Conference athletics, ensuring unprecedented exposure for the conference's student-athletes and programs across the network's industry-leading linear and digital offerings.