BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Patriot League and ESPN have reached a multi-year extension to keep ESPN+ and the ESPN App as the exclusive digital home for live and archived Patriot League sporting events. ESPN+ will remain home to more than 750 annual Patriot League events, including all home contests in football and men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s lacrosse games.
ESPN+ became the exclusive digital home for Patriot League live and archived events in 2020. During the past five years, more than 4,000 of the League’s live events have been streamed.
The expansion of Patriot League football to 10 teams in 2026 highlights an increase in the number of football games on ESPN+. Starting in the 2026 season Villanova and William & Mary’s home games will move to ESPN+. This follows the 2025 addition of Richmond and its slate of home games.
“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with ESPN to showcase the Patriot League and our student-athletes on a platform dedicated to excellence,” Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel said. “The expansion of Patriot League football creates an exciting opportunity to deliver even more compelling content to fans.”
“The Patriot League represents everything fans value about college sports: strong rivalries, passionate campuses and outstanding student-athletes,” said Mallory Kenny, Director, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN. “We’re proud to extend our relationship and continue bringing hundreds of Patriot League events to fans each year across ESPN+ and the ESPN App.”
The agreement will continue regular and postseason coverage of Patriot League baseball, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, volleyball and other Olympic sports in addition to championship coverage for other League sports. Overall, more than 10 Patriot League team champions are crowned on ESPN+ each year.
The Patriot League was represented by Dan Gale and Lindsey Ross of LEONA in the negotiation.
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ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.