Raycom Sports will feature ACC Network brand

ACC NEWS RELEASE - Raycom Sports and the Atlantic Coast Conference today announced that beginning this season, the Raycom Sports Regional Syndicated package of Atlantic Coast Conference football and basketball telecasts will be branded as the ACC Network.

The new marketing initiative will feature ACC Network graphics and designations beginning with the first game this year, the Duke at Wake Forest telecast on Saturday, Sept. 11.

The ACC Network branding was part of the new television rights agreements between the ACC, Raycom Sports and ESPN that begins with the 2011 Football season. Raycom Sports and the Conference moved to begin the branding during the final year of the existing contract.

"Beginning to brand the ACC Network with the start of the first conference football game made great sense for our league, member schools, fans and partners," said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. "It's a great tribute to Raycom that we're able to roll out this initiative a year before the new contract begins."

"The establishment of the ACC Network brand was a natural step, given our longstanding syndication exclusivity with the Atlantic Coast Conference," said Jimmy Rayburn, vice-president of operations for Raycom Sports. "Moving forward with our new rights agreement, we were already preparing the transition. But with the volume of media coverage already surrounding the conference's new television rights agreement, it made perfect sense to capitalize on the public's attention now with the ACC Network designation."