Ad Disclosure
ESPN has picked up the option on its TV rights contract with the ACC, extending the agreement through 2036.
The move was widely expected, according to multiple reports. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger first reported the extension on Thursday morning. ESPN’s David Hale and Andrea Adelson reported that the network had until Feb. 1 to pick up the option on the deal. Had the network declined, the partnership would have ended after the 2027 season.
Both reports also make mention of a pivot from the ACC to create additional “value adds” for its network partner, one of which includes scheduling more games between its top brands and Notre Dame.
Notre Dame, which currently plays 5 or 6 games a year against ACC competition and is a member of the league in non-football sports, has expressed a willingness to play more games against Clemson in the future. According to Dellenger, the ACC is looking at a scheduling model that would see the Irish face at least 2 of Clemson, Florida State, and Miami each season on a rotating basis.
The extension with ESPN also affords the ACC some added stability in its ongoing legal battle with Clemson University and Florida State University. Both schools have sought to gain concessions from the ACC over perceived imbalances between the top conferences and the ACC’s top brands.
According to ESPN’s report, negotiations around the TV rights extension “ran in conjunction” with discussions between the ACC and the 2 schools on a new revenue distribution model that would help bridge the financial gap between CU, FSU, and their peers.
From Hale and Adelson’s reporting:
Under the proposed plan, a percentage of the ACC’s television revenue would be included in a “brand” fund, and that money would then be distributed to schools that annually generate the most revenue for the conference in football and men’s and women’s basketball — with Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina likely at the top of the pyramid, sources told ESPN.
Should that agreement be finalized — something sources said is not imminent but was closely tied to the ESPN option — Clemson and Florida State would be expected to drop their lawsuits.
The ACC is also reportedly looking to create more marquee matchups in football and men’s basketball going forward. This past season, the top 3 finishers in the league (SMU, Clemson, Miami) did not play each other in the regular season.
Related: Check out our guide on the top Florida betting apps to download and use in 2025.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
