ESPN buys rights to 40 NCAA championships

vacancies in the NFL, with the Los Angeles Chargers (Brandon Staley) and Carolina Panthers (Frank Reich) firing their coaches midseason. Several more are expected to join them after Sunday’s conclusion to the regular season.

Among them is likely to be New England, where the Patriots and Bill Belichick are widely expected to part ways.

Harbaugh previously coached in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, compiling a 44-19-1 record from 2011-14.

SportsBetting.ag is offering -150 odds that Harbaugh returns to the NFL, compared to +100 that he remains at Michigan and +700 odds that he takes the year off from coaching.

Should he bolt for the pros, Harbaugh is already among the favorites to become either the Chargers’ next head coach or fill the legendary shoes Belichick has occupied in New England for the past 24 years.

The NCAA and ESPN have reached an eight-year agreement that grants the network the right to broadcast 40 NCAA championships per year at a reported sticker price of $920 million over the next eight years.

NCAA president Charlie Baker confirmed the deal averages $115 million per year, which doesn’t include costs to ESPN around production and marketing.

The contract represents a significant increase over the 12-year, $500 million total deal the two sides signed in 2011 and takes effect Sept. 1.

Under the new agreement, the ESPN family of networks, including ABC, will air 21 women’s and 19 men’s championships with more than 800 hours of NCAA championship competition on those channels and more than 2,300 hours when digital platforms are added in.

Championships include Division I women’s basketball, which ESPN has televised since 2003, as well as international rights to the men’s NCAA Tournament. The domestic broadcast rights for the men’s NCAA Tournament are part of an NCAA deal with CBS and Turner that pays $1.1 billion per season.

“ESPN and the NCAA have enjoyed a strong and collaborative relationship for more than four decades, and we are thrilled that it will continue as part of this new, long-term agreement,” said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

Men’s championships in the agreement are soccer, football (non-Football Bowl Subdivision), cross country, water polo, indoor and outdoor track and field, swimming and diving, wrestling, ice hockey, gymnastics, fencing, volleyball, lacrosse, tennis, baseball and Division II and III basketball (other than the Division II title game).

Women’s championships are soccer, field hockey, all divisions of volleyball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, swimming and diving, all divisions of basketball, ice hockey, bowling, gymnastics, fencing, beach volleyball, lacrosse, tennis, softball and water polo.

The National Invitation Tournament for men’s basketball and the new Women’s NIT are also included.