Overview
- Cody Campbell unveiled a 30-second commercial on Friday accusing conference commissioners of prioritizing money and calling for national pooling of college football media rights.
- Campbell says he wired payment for weekend placements and was told by a network lawyer the refusal was a business decision.
- An ESPN source told Front Office Sports the ad could not air this weekend because requested supporting documentation was not provided in time, noting the network has aired Campbell’s spots previously.
- Fox and Disney/ESPN hold significant media rights across the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12, underscoring their business ties to the conferences targeted in the ad.
- The dispute unfolds as power conferences and the NCAA promote the stalled SCORE Act, which Campbell opposes while lobbying for amending the Sports Broadcasting Act to allow a single national rights package.