ABILENE – Abilene Christian University on Tuesday announced a 10-year deal for IMG to be the exclusive multimedia rights partner of ACU Athletics.
The contract, which begins July 1, 2017, will go through the 2026-27 season and will more than double ACU's projected revenues in 2017-18, according to director of athletics Lee De León.
"I couldn't be more excited about this long-term partnership with IMG College," De León said. "Based on my past experience with IMG at the University of Arizona and my first-hand experience with IMG's commitment to excellence, I am confident that this agreement will elevate the brand of ACU Athletics and help us take our corporate sponsorships to the next level."
IMG will have the exclusive, worldwide rights to all multimedia sports marketing, promotional and commercial rights available in and around ACU's athletics program. Those rights include audio distribution in all forms, video distribution via any and all platforms, print (including game-day publications, roster cards, schedule cards, posters, etc.), signage, Internet/digital (including ACU's official athletic web site), audio/video streaming subscriptions, social, game entitlements, corporate hospitality, and advertising/sponsorship opportunities.
Abilene Christian University has also signed a deal with IMG College's seating group.
"We are so pleased to begin working on behalf of Abilene Christian University to further build its already growing athletics program on both a local and national level," said Tim Pernetti, President, IMG College. "We are focused on providing strategic opportunities for the Wildcat brand as well as creating relationships that help Abilene Christian and its student-athletes to succeed."
ACU joins an elite group of more than 80 colleges and universities that are associated with IMG, including the following six schools in the state of Texas: Rice, Houston, UTEP, TCU, Baylor, and Texas.
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About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 30 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world's greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions.
About Abilene Christian University Athletics
Abilene Christian University is a member of NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference. The 2017-18 athletics year will be the program's first as a full-fledged Division I affiliate after serving a four-year transition from NCAA Division II membership. All Wildcat athletics teams will be eligible for NCAA and Southland Conference post-season tournaments. ACU is fifth all-time in NCAA national championships won with 57, trailing only UCLA, Stanford, USC and Division III swimming and diving powerhouse Kenyon College.
