Conference USA’s new media rights deal with ESPN and CBS steals a page from the Mid-American Conference’s playbook, with the new-look league agreeing to play midweek football games throughout October to try to increase visibility and build its brand.
“We obviously had an example to look at and ratings from how the MAC has done,” C-USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod told The Associated Press on Thursday. “Really, this is a membership decision. And if they’re not going to buy in and commit to it, then we would not have done it. I can’t give enough credit to the football coaches, who understood the importance of exposure.”
The five-year deal starts next season as Conference USA goes through extensive membership turnover.
Six current C-USA members are leaving after this season to join the American Athletic Conference. Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State are joining C-USA next year and Kennesaw State is scheduled to join in 2024.
C-USA will eventually be a 10-school conference, keeping UTEP, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky.
“It’s almost like a brand-new entity,” MacLeod said. “And that did absolutely play into the exposure piece. Plus, sometimes our programs are better than maybe the perception is out there because not enough people are seeing them.”
Financial terms were not announced.
The new deal keeps CBS Sports Network as the primary home for C-USA’s top football and men’s basketball games.
CBS Sports Network will also air the C-USA football championship, the men’s basketball tournament semifinals and championship game, the women’s basketball championship game and conference title games for baseball and softball.
NBA
LeBron won’t play Friday
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James will miss at least the Lakers’ next game after straining a muscle in his leg during Los Angeles’ fourth straight loss on Wednesday night.
An MRI exam on James revealed no tears in his adductor muscle, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Thursday.
James is day-to-day with the strain, which occurred during the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 114-101 victory over the Lakers. The second-leading scorer in NBA history injured the muscle near his groin and walked gingerly to the locker room.
The Lakers host Sacramento on Friday before the Brooklyn Nets visit on Sunday. The Lakers have the following four days off, which means James could get eight consecutive days of rest while missing only two games.
James said after the game that the injury wasn’t as significant as his groin strain on Christmas 2018 during his first season with the Lakers. That injury sidelined him for a month.
James is the Lakers’ leading scorer with 24.9 points per game despite persistent pain in his left foot that forced him to miss Los Angeles’ loss to Utah on Monday. James is also contributing 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in his 20th NBA season.
Despite James’ strong play, the Lakers have the NBA’s second-worst record at 2-9.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight said Kyrie Irving’s deal with the shoe brand is likely over and doubts that the star guard will be welcomed back to the company. Knight added that he doesn’t “know for sure” about the decision in a television interview with CNBC.
“Kyrie stepped over the line. It’s kind of that simple. And so he made some statements that we just can’t abide by. And that’s where we ended the relationship,” Knight said in the interview.
The company announced last week that they suspended their relationship with Irving after the guard posted links to an antisemitic film on his social media accounts. Following the posts, Irving refused to denounce the movie or apologize. The Brooklyn Nets handed Irving a minimum five-game suspension for his actions, stating that he was “unfit to be associated” with organization.
The brand also announced last week that they will not release the Kyrie 8, Irving’s new signature shoe.
Knight said the star guard was “dug in” as he decided to not immediately apologize or condemn the movie “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.” After getting suspended by his team, Irving issued an apology on his Instagram account.
Irving’s contract with Nike was set to expire after the 2022-23 season and ESPN reported in May that the brand was unlikely to offer an extension. The recent firestorm all but confirms that a Nike extension will not be on the horizon for the seven-time All-Star.
In the television interview, Knight discussed the process Nike goes through when deciding to partner with an athlete.
