Report: AAC, ESPN reach new media-rights deal

The American Athletic Conference reportedly has agreed to a new 12-year, $1 billion media-rights deal with ESPN that will represent a windfall of sorts for each of its member schools including USF.

Sports Business Journal reported Tuesday the new deal will pay the 6-year-old conference $83.3 million annually, four times more than the previous one that expires after the 2019-20 season.

The annual per-school average comes to $6.94 million, nearly $5 million more annually for each institution, according to SBJ.

AAC commissioner Mike Aresco declined comment on the media-rights negotiations during a media conference call last week. Bulls athletic director Michael Kelly declined comment.

While a significant increase from its current media-rights contract, the AAC’s reported new deal still pales in comparison to those of Power Five conferences. Thanks to lavish media-rights deals that include conference networks, per-school payouts in some Power Five leagues reportedly are nearing $50 million.

The SBJ reported that AAC schools declined to sign a grant-of-rights, which would have greatly restricted any attempt to jump to a Power Five conference.