ACC Revenue Gap grows even larger

 

The two leagues we now have 2020-21 revenue distribution numbers for are SEC ($54.6M) and Big 12 ($34.5M).

As of 2020, Big Ten average was $54.3M, Pac-12 $33.6M, ACC $32.3M.

SEC & B1G are far ahead of the others, and that's before new B1G TV deal in '23 and SEC-ESPN in '24.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 10, 2022

The SEC announced that $777.8 million of total revenue was divided among the SEC’s 14 universities for the 2020-21 fiscal year. The amount distributed from the conference office, excluding bowl expenses retained by participants, averaged $54.6M per school--up $9M from last year.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 10, 2022

2003 - BC accepts invite to join the ACC.

2004 – John Swofford's son, Chad Swofford, hired by BS as Assistant Director, Sports Marketing

June, 2007 – Raycom hires Chad Swofford.

July, 2010 - Swofford signs 15 year ACC/ESPN deal through '22-'23 that is immediately worth half the PAC deal. The deal gave ESPN syndication rights that would allow Raycom Sports to carry games and maintain its long-running regional broadcasting relationship with the league, which prohibits the ACC from starting a network because ESPN needs those rights to start a conference network. (The SEC dropped Raycom in '08.) “Raycom couldn’t compete financially with bigger national TV networks, like ESPN and Fox, who also wanted the ACC’s rights. So Raycom decided to rely on the deep, personal relationships it developed over its three-decade relationship with the conference.” 80% of Raycom revenue comes from the ACC.

May, 2012 - Swofford signs 15 year ACC/ESPN deal through '26-'27 described as a “rip off” for the ACC. Chris Smith with Forbes magazine writes that “the ACC is currently on its deathbed, largely because of the conference's poorly renegotiated TV deal with ESPN.” Also writes that “this isn't the first time that ACC Commissioner John Swofford has left media rights money on the table. When the ACC signed its previous ESPN contract a few years ago, Swofford insisted on maintaining a partnership with syndicator Raycom Sports, possibly giving away increased media rights revenue in the process[.]”

June, 2012 - Raycom promotes Chad Swofford to Senior Director, New Media and Business Development

April, 2013 - ACC presidents sign GOR through '26-'27. No ACC network.

July, 2016 – ACC presidents extend GOR through '36-'37. No ACC network.

Aug., 2019 - The ACC Network launches, when ESPN acquires the secondary ACC rights previously held by Raycom. (SEC network launched in August of 2014. Pac-10 network launched in 2012. Big-10 network launched in August of 2007.)