CSMG CEO Michael Schreck talks deal to represent Atlantic Sun Conference, ‘in a perfect spot’ in media rights talks

Media rights are a crucial part of business for college conferences these days, and that’s causing many conferences to look to some outside partners for advice and management there. The latest to do so is the Atlantic Sun Conference, which announced a deal Thursday where Collegiate Sports Management Group will represent their media rights strategy.

The Atlantic Sun is the 10th NCAA conference CSMG is working with. The deal will see the group work with Atlantic Sun commissioner Jeff Bacon “as the conference plans its future in the ever-changing media landscape.” CSMG CEO Michael Schreck spoke to AA by email in advance of this announcement, and said the conference’s members and markets (spanning areas from Kentucky to Florida) were appealing to them.

“The Atlantic Sun Conference is uniquely situated, with 12 members located in some of the largest media markets in the fastest-growing region of the United States. CSMG has succeeded with peer mid-major conference partners in local, regional, and national media strategic agreements and negotiations.

“The ASUN is in a perfect spot as the media landscape continues to change, and growth properties have a real opportunity to be innovative with maximizing exposure through different media outlets, including social media, content creation, linear, digital, mobile, and audio.”

One of the more interesting things with the Atlantic Sun is what they’re doing with football. In 2021, they brought in three new schools with FCS-level football programs and teamed with the WAC for a scheduling alliance, which has now turned into a full “United Athletic Conference” branded venture led by ex-WVU AD and ex-XFL commissioner Oliver Luck. (However, the NCAA has not yet approved that conference to operate as a single-sport conference, so this remains an alliance for now.) Schreck said CSMG is eager to be in on the ground floor there, and they have experience with conferences (and leagues in other sports) that are just starting bold ventures.

“We will help develop the entire conference media strategy as critical components (like football) are in their nascent stages. CSMG has tangible experience with conferences that have added new sports or initiatives. Additionally, we partner with emerging professional sports teams and leagues like the National Pickleball League, Disc Golf Pro Tour, USA Lacrosse, and Fan Controlled Football. We provide expertise across media strategy in growth stages.”

ASUN rights are primarily with ESPN at the moment, with many of those on ESPN+. Schreck said he can’t offer any specifics on what’s ahead for their football or other sports rights, but there will be lots of aspects to consider, from a changing college football environment to a changing media environment.

“We will have ample time to discuss strategic plans and priorities with Commissioner Jeff Bacon, the ASUN staff, and his member institutions. The landscape of college football is constantly changing and requires us to be informed. Conferences, schools, networks, and streaming platforms educate us as we communicate with them daily; we will utilize that information to put the ASUN in the best position with great partners.”

There is another notable element with the Atlantic Sun in how it’s recently changed its formal name back to The Atlantic Sun Conference. (It was officially just ASUN from 2016-2023; they still use the ASUN abbreviation, but the Atlantic Sun name is officially back.) Schreck said that rebrand won’t directly impact media rights negotiations, but the approach they’ll take to media rights should help promote the brand.

“While a rebrand is excellent for the conference, it does not impact media rights. The strategy surrounding the ASUN’s media rights concerns the conference and member institutions’ priorities, including the respective media markets and the ability to generate local, regional, and national exposure. The ASUN brand will be promoted by executing the strategic plan; the rebrand won’t have a material impact on the work we will be conducting with the ASUN.”

Schreck said he thinks there’s significant opportunity with the current changing media environment, even if it comes with some uncertainty.

“Any time you have new entries into a media space, it speaks to the strength of that market. So, when entities like Peacock, Paramount+, and the recently announced joint venture (ESPN+, Fox, and WBD) get involved, it indicates the strength of college athletics and its associated live events.”

He also said conferences like the Atlantic Sun and the others CSMG works with have an advantage from their rights coming up sooner, with Power 4 rights off the table for the foreseeable future.

“The Power 4 rights are locked in for the foreseeable future. As a result, it provides our partner conferences leverage when discussing their options, especially with flexibility on sports and game nights.”

And Schreck said the growing attention on women’s sports is also helpful for the conferences they work with.

“We are brokering more available content in our negotiations with coverage across women’s sports as networks have realized the power of that growing audience.”

With rights negotiations, there can be challenges in balancing higher exposure from broadcast or basic cable TV with higher rights fees but lower audiences from streaming platforms. Schreck said the key to approaching that for CSMG is working with conference and school stakeholders to figure out and fulfill their key priorities.

“Finding the correct balance is based on the priorities and focus of each institution and its constituents. After in-depth discussions with the conference and schools, we identify and rank the critical topics (local linear, more commercial inventory, certain games protected, cost of streaming service, rights fee, etc.)

“Local linear coverage was a top priority for the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA); national basketball exposure (men’s and women’s) and streaming were influential. For the Big Sky, protecting long-standing local partnerships at over-the-air station groups was a driving force in negotiating with their national linear partner. National exposure and brand affinity were crucial initiatives for the Summit League, so pre-existing local linear agreements remain intact for their highly engaged fan bases.

“At the same time, double-digit games were added to national linear slates. Schools ultimately hire us individually because we have taken the time to learn where they are focused. An intimate knowledge of the priorities of the schools and conferences creates an ideal synergy when partnering with any content platform.”

Schreck said that speaks to CSMG’s overall approach of centering their advice and offerings to each client they work with, and not being too focused on landing rights on any one particular platform.

“We take the approach of listening, understanding, and evaluating the priorities of each member institution to make the best recommendation for the conference and its member institutions. CSMG has a great deal of experience working with many Division I conferences, including several peer conferences, along with pro sports properties across all levels of media. Our approach has provided various paths for those leagues/conferences to take. We are agnostic regarding networks, streamers, audio platforms, and beyond; that flexibility is essential in evaluating all options for our partners.”

[Atlantic Sun]