Big East, ESPN reunite with 6-year media rights deal

The Big East Conference and ESPN announced a six-year digital media rights deal on Tuesday. Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman said in a statement that the agreement gives “all 22 of our sports — especially women’s basketball and Olympic sports — the visibility they’ve earned and the access our fans expect.” “This exciting partnership with ESPN reinforces our commitment to placing Big East teams front and center on the leading digital sports platform,” Ackerman said.

Zakai Zeigler drops bid to play 5th college season, but his lawsuit against NCAA will continue

Zakai Zeigler of Tennessee has dropped his bid for a federal judge to let him play a fifth season of Division I basketball in five years, but his lawsuit against the NCAA will continue, his attorneys said Tuesday. Last month, a judge denied Zeigler's request for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to return to the Volunteers. “While we had hoped to see Zakai back in orange and white, he’s embracing the next chapter of his basketball career with optimism and resolve,” the law firm Litson PLLC said in a statement.