ASU in finance war against IMG College

ASU recently announced it is engaged in a litigious war of finance against IMG College, the in-house media rights and marketing firm that represents the majority of Power 5 Conference schools. Arizona and Oregon are believed to be IMG’s two biggest money-makers West of the Mississippi. It also represents UCLA, Cal, Washington and Washington State. IMG College works well in a college setting; it can sell radio and TV time and signage to local firms who jump aboard the local bandwagon. But in a vast metro area like Phoenix, where the D’backs, Suns and Cardinals come first, it’s a much tougher sell. ASU claims IMG owes it $5.5 million; IMG says ASU is on the hook for $34 million. What a mess. Anderson’s next big jobs will be to keep football coach Todd Graham away from the wolves at Florida and Michigan, and to find a better way to raise money locally. 

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