ESPN is staying in the SWAC business for the foreseeable future.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and ESPN have agreed to a new media rights deal that will continue to carry the conference’s football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball events on ESPN platforms through the 2030-31 season. Additionally, a separate agreement has been struck to continue the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff event and the Celebration Bowl between the same two conferences through 2032.
As part of the deal, ESPN will broadcast 10 regular-season football games across its linear networks and ESPN+, the SWAC Football Championship will air on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, and both the men’s basketball and women’s basketball tournament championships will air on a linear ESPN network. Additionally, every round of both basketball tournaments will stream on ESPN’s digital networks, and four regular-season men’s basketball games will be slated for either an ESPN linear network or ESPN+.
“The SWAC consistently delivers exciting competition, passionate fan engagement and some of the most anticipated championship events in HBCU athletics,” Mallory Kenny, director, programming & acquisitions at ESPN, said in a press release. “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.”
Alabama A&M will represent the SWAC to kick off this college football season against Howard of the MEAC during the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on August 29. The game will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.