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K-State Today

April 14, 2011

Fans, student-athletes win as long-term Big 12, FOX deal further ties league together

Submitted by Cheryl May

K-State President Kirk Schulz and Athletics Director John Currie say the substantial increase and extension through 2024-25 of the Big 12's new FOX Sports television package marks a historic step forward for the conference and its 10 member institutions. 

"The Board of Directors of the Big 12 are united in approving this new agreement and believe it is further proof that the Big 12 Conference has tremendous value and a very bright future," Schulz said. "We salute the leadership of Commissioner (Dan) Beebe and appreciate the substantial investment FOX is making in recognizing the value of Big 12 athletics and academics." 

The contract with FOX, announced earlier today jointly by the network and the Big 12, will offer the opportunity for all Big 12 football home games to be produced and televised over the 13-year term of the agreement. FOX will also have the primary right to televise all Big 12 sports and championships other than men's basketball, which will continue to find its primary home on ESPN. The new agreement covers the rights commonly referred to in the industry as "second tier." 

A ground-breaking and fan-friendly aspect of the agreement is the substantial flexibility for individual institutions to distribute their sports programming to individual fan bases. 

Under the new agreement, which is effective in 2012-13, the Big 12 will generate per member television revenue at among the highest level of any intercollegiate athletic conference while also allowing perhaps the most comprehensive retained institutional rights within Division I athletics. 

In addition to all football games being televised, 40 non-football events per season will also be aired, including 25 women's basketball games, while each school can also replay games on institutional distribution platforms following a 72-hour window from the original broadcast date. 

The conference will continue to maintain its current ABC/ESPN agreement for its top-tier football and men's basketball cable rights. That agreement runs through the 2015-16 season. 

"This agreement is a huge leap forward toward our vision of building a model intercollegiate athletics program at K-State," Currie said. "The tremendous visibility for all conference football games brought by the new FOX deal, as well as our existing ABC/ESPN agreement, coupled with our retained ability to launch and enhance our own institutional distribution platforms featuring live telecasts of athletics events will give our 10 institutions a unique advantage over universities in other major conferences."

Link to Big 12 release: Big 12 deal