NBC Sports Group Reaches Five-Year Pact With CAA

Becomes first collegiate athletic conference to sign broadcast deal with NBC Sports Net

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/13/2012 3:19:12 PM

NBC Sports Group has reached a five-year agreement with the Colonial Athletic Association for its basketball and football rights.

NBC Sports Network will provide national television coverage for a minimum of 12 men's basketball games each year, including the semifinals and finals of the CAA Men's Basketball Championship. In addition, the NBC Sports Network will televise a minimum of five CAA Football games annually.  The Comcast SportsNet regional networks, which have partnered with the CAA for the past 28 years, will regionally televise 39 additional men's and women's basketball games. NBCSports.com will also feature coverage of a variety of other CAA sports.

The CAA becomes the first collegiate athletic conference to sign a broadcast deal with the NBC Sports Network since its inception Jan. 2.

"We are thrilled to be associated with the NBC Sports Group," CAA commissioner Tom Yeager said. "The NBC Sports Network now provides a national platform to elevate the conference in conjunction with the relationship we've had with the Comcast SportsNets, which have been the foundation of our television package for almost three decades."

The deal will begin with the 2012-13 school year and carry through 2016-17.

"We are very excited to begin our new relationship with the Colonial Athletic Association and extend our college sports offerings," said Michael Sheehey, senior VP, sports content and college sports, NBC Sports Group. "Given our unique four-tier portfolio of assets, we are able to deliver high-quality production of the conference's football, basketball and other sports to viewers nationally, regionally and online unlike anyone else."