The Southern Conference has cut short a three-year deal with four public television stations to air college athletic events.
SoCon, a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, announced the deals last year with South Carolina ETV, UNC-TV, Georgia Public Broadcasting and WTCI in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Current, Dec. 12, 2011). But SoCon wanted its games televised statewide in all five states within the league, which also included Alabama. The conference has decided that ESPN3 will broadcast all of its events, and it will end the package with public TV.
“We enjoyed our relationship with SoCon last year, and we wish them well with ESPN3,” said Nancy Zintak, spokesperson for GPB. “Our core sports business is really in the high-school arena, which is where we’re able to connect with our communities all over Georgia.”