ESPN and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) have reached a new multi-year media rights agreement that will bring the conference’s basketball championships, along with marquee regular-season football and basketball competition, to ESPN networks through the 2030-31 academic year. The agreement includes global rights and ESPN will annually present:
- Nearly two dozen regular-season football games, including select games on ESPN linear networks
- MEAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship on a linear ESPN network
- MEAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship on a linear ESPN network
- All other rounds of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments on ESPN digital networks
- Select regular-season men’s basketball games on a linear ESPN network
“The MEAC has a proud history and continues to play an important role in the HBCU sports landscape,” said Mallory Kenny, director, programming & acquisitions, ESPN. “This agreement reflects ESPN’s commitment to providing meaningful exposure for the conference and ensuring fans can follow its premier football and basketball competition across our networks. We look forward to continuing to showcase the MEAC’s student-athletes, programs and championship moments for years to come, building upon our decades-long relationship.”
“This agreement is an exciting step forward for the MEAC and reinforces the strong relationship we have built with ESPN to showcase the excellence of our student-athletes, coaches and member institutions, said MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills. “This continued partnership will provide our programs with a national platform while creating more opportunities for our fans to engage with MEAC competition and championship moments. We appreciate ESPN’s continued commitment and look forward to working together to highlight the achievements, traditions and stories that make our conference special.”
In addition, ESPN Events and the MEAC have extended the conference’s participation in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Cricket Celebration Bowl through 2032. The six-year renewal continues ESPN’s longstanding commitment to showcasing HBCU football through two of the sport’s premier annual events held in Atlanta.
“The MEAC has been instrumental in shaping the legacy of both the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Celebration Bowl, helping establish these events as premier showcases for HBCU football,” said John T. Grant, Executive Director of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Celebration Bowl. “The conference’s tradition of excellence and competitive success has left an indelible mark on the history of these games, and we are excited to continue welcoming MEAC programs, alumni and fans to Atlanta through 2032. These events provide a unique opportunity to celebrate the achievements, culture and enduring impact of HBCU football on a national stage.”
The Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff – which first began in 2005 – takes center stage in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 29, as Alabama A&M faces Howard in primetime (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). ESPN Events’ 11th edition of the Cricket Celebration Bowl is set for Saturday, Dec. 12 at noon on ABC, as the champions of the MEAC and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) face off in the National Championship for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.