Mega-Deal in Works for UGA

I had this in today's links, but decided to break it out into its own post...

The Sports Business Journal reports today that ISP Sports is close to a deal with UGA that would be among the most lucrative sports marketing deals in the nation. Registration is required to access the article.

I spoke with Alan Thomas, UGA's associate athletics director, who told me that while negotiations are ongoing, no deal is in place. The current contract provides ISP with exclusive negotiation rights, which prompted the talks, Thomas said. The current deal does not expire until June 30, 2010, however, so there is plenty of time before anything needs to be finalized.

I'm still working on tracking down a few details on this, but I also confirmed through a separate source that, when the deal is completed, it is expected to be the largest in ISP's history.

Georgia currently earns about $8 million annually from its marketing and media rights deal. Essentially, the new deal would be designed to bundle UGA's marketing and media (radio and Internet), which would increase revenue, with SBJ estimating it at between $9 and $10 million. Currently UGA has independent contracts to handle its Web and radio broadcasts.