A day after it was outbid for Games rights, ESPN reached an eight-year extension with the West Coast Conference for enhanced basketball and Olympic sports coverage.
The pact, terms of which were not disclosed, encompasses presentations on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, broadband service ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV from the 2011-12 through 2018-19 school year.
As part of the deal, the West Coast Conference will receive a minimum of 48 men's basketball appearances, including conference games and home non-conference games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The programmer has televised an average of 38 West Coast Conference men's basketball appearances over the past three seasons (a conference game counts as two appearances and non-conference games count as one).
The pact provides for a minimum of 14 conference men's basketball games with seven on ESPN or ESPN2 and seven on ESPNU. Additionally, it will afford more coverage of the men's basketball championship than ever with telecasts of the championship on ESPN or ESPN2, semifinals on ESPN2 and two quarterfinal games on ESPNU.
Moreover, the deal guarantees coverage of five events annually across women's basketball, soccer, volleyball and baseball on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
The WCC comprises Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Clara. BYU, which will compete as a football independent and has a TV deal with ESPN, will join the WCC in other sports, with the upcoming academic year.
