Southern Conference (“SoCon”) Partners with TrailRunner Sports for Future Media Rights and Basketball Championship Site Planning

SPARTANBURG, S.C., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Southern Conference (SoCon) announced Wednesday an expanded partnership with TrailRunner Sports to lead both advisory and negotiation services for its future media rights process, and to provide guidance on prospective site plans for the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships. This announcement was made at the Southern Conference Football Media Day by Commissioner Michael Cross.

Southern Conference events and content are currently distributed by ESPN, CBS Sports, and Nexstar. With the aim of enhancing and augmenting both its broadcast and digital media presence, the SoCon will collaborate with TrailRunner Sports to navigate the process of securing its next media rights agreements. All three media deals are coterminous and expire in the summer of 2026.

TrailRunner Sports will also advise on the future site selection process for the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships to ensure they continue to provide an exceptional experience for student-athletes, fans, and partners. The current agreement with the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission to host the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville currently expires after the 2026 events.

The TrailRunner Sports team will be led by Jamie Zaninovich and Maddie Kraft, who combined, offer deep experience in media rights strategy and negotiations, as well as event management, and activation. TrailRunner Sports is a new division of TrailRunner International, and a joint venture with Legends, as announced by both companies in December of last year.

“The opportunity to collaborate with TrailRunner Sports regarding both our media rights and the future of our basketball championships will provide a creative and efficient approach to numerous central elements of the SoCon. The way we promote our student-athletes and our institutions and share our high-level competition with SoCon fans across the country and around the world is of paramount importance.” Cross said, expressing his enthusiasm for the partnership. “The expertise, relationships, and industry knowledge Jamie brings to the table from multiple Division I conferences, and Maddie has with her professional sports experience will undoubtedly provide the ideas and innovation we are seeking. I have great trust the Southern Conference will benefit from their guidance and counsel in both negotiations.” 

By partnering with TrailRunner Sports, the SoCon aims to leverage its industry expertise to maximize the value of both the Conference’s media rights and also its premier conference championship event. This collaboration represents the SoCon’s commitment to staying at the forefront of the ever-evolving college sports media landscape and delivering on the “IT’S ALL HERE” promise to its membership and fans.

“We could not be more pleased to continue our work with Commissioner Cross and his phenomenal team at the Southern Conference on these important strategic initiatives,” Zaninovich said. “Thanks to the recent success of its programs and the unwavering support from its passionate fanbase, the Conference is uniquely positioned to elevate the future of both of these properties.”

About Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a collegiate athletic conference comprising 10 member institutions in the southeastern United States. With a rich history spanning over 100 years as the fourth oldest athletics conference in the country, the SoCon is committed to fostering excellence in academics and athletics while providing a platform for student-athletes to succeed both on and off the field. For more information, please visit www.soconsports.com. 

About TrailRunner Sports
TrailRunner Sports is a strategic business advisory and communications firm serving the global sports industry. TrailRunner Sports helps clients win in today’s complex global landscape, with matters impacting teams, leagues, conferences, universities, and owners ranging from executive positioning and crisis communications to matters of public reputation strategy and special situations. The firm takes a team approach across diverse disciplines including media, law, finance, and regulatory affairs to address opportunities and challenges that no longer fit neatly into traditional categories. TrailRunner Sports is based in Dallas/Fort Worth with offices in New York; Nashville; Abu Dhabi; Dubai; London; Shanghai; and Truckee, California. Learn more at www.trailrunnersports.com.