SoCon and Nexstar Media Group Announce Contract Extension
New five-year agreement provides regional, linear TV coverage of basketball and football
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Nexstar Media Group, Inc., Ingles Markets and the Southern Conference announced Friday a new five-year extension, which continues a partnership to broadcast select SoCon contests on Nexstar stations across the Southeast.
The deal will usher in a second decade of the parties working together. Alongside game broadcasts, Ingles and Nexstar will be involved in the promotion and coverage of signature SoCon events.
“Ingles is proud to support The Southern Conference with an extended five-year agreement,” Melissa Leavell, Ingles Advertising Director, said. “With a history built on character and a commitment to education, the Southern Conference is filled with traditions to be shared. That is why we have also partnered with Nexstar to bring all these traditions into your home every week with the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week. Thank you Nexstar and The Southern Conference for making Ingles part of the team.”
"Regional television carries real weight across the cities and towns in the SoCon footprint. This agreement extends the capacity to tell the story of our 11 institutions, our student-athletes, and the towns that stand behind them,” said The Southern Conference Commissioner Michael Cross. “Nexstar has been a genuine partner in that work, and Ingles Markets continues to invest in this conference in a way few sponsors anywhere can match. Doubling down on the partners who are integrated in SoCon communities is a big part of what we mean when we say “It's All Here.” We're grateful to both and excited to keep building alongside them."
The first games in the new agreement will take place during the 2026 football season. The package will also include men’s and women’s basketball games during the regular season and conference tournament.
All games will air on either WSPA or WYCW. These affiliates in the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville markets serve three SoCon schools. Last year the package included 30 broadcasts.
"Nexstar and Ingles are proud to extend our commitment to Southern Conference athletics for another five years, reinforcing a partnership that has successfully connected fans with their favorite teams since 2018,” WSPA/WYCW General Manager Kenny Lawrence said. “We are honored to continue working alongside the Southern Conference and Ingles to deliver first-class coverage of championship-caliber competition across multiple sports, bringing these events to the conference's passionate and loyal fanbase throughout the year."
Stations in other SoCon markets that have the ability to pick up games are WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Roanoke), WJHL (Tri-Cities), WCBD (Charleston), WGHP (Greensboro) and WBTW (Myrtle Beach). Although not Nexstar stations, EFLI (Chattanooga, TN) and WMUB (Macon, GA) will also have the opportunity to air games from this season’s package.