ESPN and the Southeastern Conference agreed to a 15-year national broadcast agreement beginning in 2009-10, giving the network’s entities the rights to more than 5,500 conference events, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, Olympic sports and conference championships.

The agreement is the longest in ESPN history and includes rights to every SEC home football game, except those included in the contract the conference has with CBS. An ESPN outlet will also offer every intra-conference men’s basketball game, with the exception of those featured on CBS, as well as several nonconference matchups. At least 16 SEC women’s basketball games, at least three regular-season baseball or softball games and at least three gymnastics meets will be broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2, along with conference championships in gymnastics, softball and baseball.

Other details of the agreement include:

• Broadcast of the semifinals and championship of the men’s basketball tournament on ESPN on ABC.

• Broadcast of all SEC championship games except football on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN on ABC, ESPNU or ESPN Classic.

• Twice-annual programs dedicated to academic accomplishments of conference student-athletes, an annual Campus Connection with students taking part in production at each SEC institution, a weekly segment on an SEC show featuring academics and an online SEC Academic Network using ESPN360.com technology.

• Each member institution retaining the right to retain a local multi-media rights package.

“The Southeastern Conference has embodied excellence for 75 years and during the last 26 years, ESPN has carried the stories of our 12 member institutions throughout the nation and the world,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. “With this landmark agreement, ESPN and its platforms will continue to showcase the SEC with more games and original SEC-dedicated content than ever before. The SEC is looking forward to continuing its relationship with ESPN as we move into our next 75 years.”