Michael Thompson Jr. Named ESPN Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions

ESPN has named longtime collegiate administrator Michael Thompson Jr. to the part of vice president, programming & acquisitions, functioning mainly on ESPN’s higher education networks attributes. In his new place, Thompson will serve as the level of get in touch with for ESPN’s business with the Southeastern Convention, which include duty for SEC Network’s programming strategy, articles acquisitions, are living party scheduling and P&L, as nicely as setting the prolonged-time period system for SEC Community and SEC Network+, and overseeing information and publication for SECSports.com, the conference’s web site. He will also oversee programming system and scheduling for Longhorn Community, ESPN’s 24-hour community devoted to the University of Texas.

“College sports activities, and particularly the Southeastern Conference, have been a popular thread in the course of my and my family’s lives for many years, and I’m thrilled for this new opportunity at ESPN,” Thompson said. “It’s truly the finest of each worlds – the option to operate with the talented staff at ESPN on powerful programming, impressive storytelling and innovative means to arrive at our audience, combined with continuing to do the job with Commissioner Sankey, Charlie Hussey and the extraordinary staff members at the SEC business office, as perfectly as my colleagues on campuses throughout the country.”

Thompson brings a prosperity of working experience from throughout the school sports activities landscape, combining for far more than a decade in the government ranks at both Ole Miss out on and Texas A&M. He was most not too long ago the Deputy Athletics Director for Exterior Relations and Business enterprise Enhancement at Texas A&M, paying out nearly 3 decades in his position alongside Director of Athletics Ross Bjork. Thompson served in a comparable part at Ole Pass up with Bjork, and notched a 9-yr tenure in Oxford.

“We’re so energized to welcome Michael to ESPN,” mentioned Ilan Ben-Hanan, ESPN senior vice president, programming & acquisitions. “His deep connections and robust interactions all through the college or university sports neighborhood will provide us properly as we carry on to improve and evolve our faculty networks company.”

Thompson carries a strong popularity as an revolutionary and collaborative chief, getting recently served as the President of NACMA (Nationwide Association of Collegiate Internet marketing Directors) and boasting an expansive resume in branding, internet marketing and sponsorship in the private sector ahead of transitioning to intercollegiate athletics in 2010. He’s an award-successful executive, running a crew that was honored with the 2019 Technology Innovation Award by the Nationwide Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

At A&M, he led unified attempts designed to increase profits likely, expand the Aggie brand name equally nationally and globally, and even further enhanced alternatives for engagement. In addition, Thompson spearheaded cross-departmental initiatives with a number of entities with regards to exterior communications and marketing and advertising, ticketing, licensing and merchandising, information technologies and multimedia rights.

Though in Oxford, Thompson was the SEC Network issue of get in touch with and served as the university’s representative on the SEC Admirer Working experience performing group, main the team’s investigate efforts. For 7 a long time, he was also an adjunct professor in integrated advertising and marketing communications at Ole Skip, his alma mater.

“I’m extremely grateful for the help of my family, Ross’s management and trust over the past 12 yrs, and ESPN’s self-confidence in me for this function,” Thompson shared. “I cannot wait to get commenced.”

Thompson will be centered at SEC Network’s headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.