ABC Sports/ESPN and the Big 12 Conference have extended
their current telecast agreement for national and syndicated
rights for football and men's college basketball through the
2007-08 season. ESPN's current contract with the conference
was due to expire following the 2000-01 season. The ABC
deal for over-the-air football telecast rights was through
the 2003 season (ABC Sports/ESPN). In K.C., Blair Kerkhoff
writes that the basketball deal includes the addition of a
men's quarterfinal game to ESPN's championship week
schedule, while the football package includes the
continuation of a weekly Big 12 football game on ABC along
with the Big 12 Championship game. The Big 12 will also
maintain its two slots for football games the Friday after
Thanksgiving (K.C. STAR, 3/15). In Houston, David Barron
writes that the parties involved in the deals "would not
disclose financial details," but the Big 12 received $135M
in its first four years from ABC, ESPN and Fox Sports Net
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/15). Kerkhoff adds that for the past
two or three years, the Big 12 has distributed "nearly" $60M
to its members at the end of the school year. But Big 12
Commissioner Kevin Weiberg thinks that the number "could
almost double in five years." Kerkhoff: "Thank you, TV."
Weiberg: "I think it's fair to say that this provides us
with good growth, and with the new basketball contract we'll
have a shot of providing around $100 million to schools by
the end of the contract period" (K.C. STAR, 3/15).
