IRVING, Texas -- The Big 12 Conference and ABC/ESPN have
announced an eight-year multimedia and sponsorship contract extension.
The contract runs from 2008-09 to 2015-16 and provides broader
football exposure for the Big 12 on ABC as well as additional
coverage of Big 12 basketball and Olympic sports on ESPN's family
of networks, the Big 12 said Thursday.
Big 12 football will receive up to 19 telecasts per season on
ABC, including the conference championship game.
The Big 12 will become the first conference to be guaranteed
three weekly men's basketball telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2. In
addition, 95 games will air annually with more than 60 contests
broadcast by ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com, ABC or another
national over-the-air network.
"This agreement greatly enhances guaranteed national exposure
for the conference," Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said.
Other Big 12 sports such volleyball, baseball and softball, as
well as women's basketball, also will receive additional exposure
in the new package.
Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.