ESPN and the Horizon League have a relationship that dates back to 1988, when the two first partnered on the Midwestern Collegiate Conference men’s basketball championship game. Nearly four decades later, they’re not done yet.
The two sides announced a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement on Wednesday, extending a partnership that has grown well beyond its basketball roots. Under the new deal, ESPN linear networks will remain the home of the Horizon League men’s basketball semifinals and championship, six regular-season men’s basketball contests, and the women’s basketball championship game. At least 500 league events will also be available on the ESPN app annually, continuing an arrangement that dates to the 2014-15 academic year when ESPN’s digital platforms first became home to the league’s streamed content.
We are excited to announce a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement with @espn, continuing a 38-year collaboration that began with our men’s championship game in 1988! https://t.co/4mpZywHiGV#OurHorizon 🌇| #MajorExperiences | #MajorMoves pic.twitter.com/3RVXzaedtC
— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 26, 2026
ESPN currently airs 15 Horizon League championship events per year, and the new deal also gives the conference and its member schools continued revenue opportunities through commercial inventory and sponsorship assets in select games.
“We are thrilled to continue to provide major experiences for our incredible student-athletes through our continued relationship with ESPN,” Horizon League interim commissioner Chris Neuman said in a statement. ESPN director of programming and acquisitions Mallory Kenny added that the agreement “underscores our dedication to showcasing the success of Horizon League student athletes,” and said the network is eager to strengthen the relationship as it enters its fourth decade.
The Horizon League currently has 11 member institutions, but will add Northern Illinois as its 12th on July 1.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.