ESPN’s Announcers Move Shows How Far Men’s ACC Hoops Has Fallen

Ryan Phillips | Mar 5, 2025

Jay Bilas during ESPN College GameDay broadcast before Auburn Tigers men's basketball takes on Texas A&M Aggies at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN is making a big move that shows what the network thinks of ACC men's basketball this year.

The network's top college basketball broadcasting team of Jay Bilas and Dan Shulman will not be covering the ACC tournament as they usually do. Instead, Bilas and Shulman will call the SEC tournament according to a press release from ESPN.

Bilas and Shulman have called the ACC tournament for years, so this is quite a change. The ACC is having a down year in basketball, while the SEC could get as many as 12 teams in the NCAA tournament. The ACC is projected to have only three by ESPN's Joe Lunardi. It has been a stunning drop for a once great basketball conference.

An ESPN spokesperson clarified that this isn't a permanent switch and future broadcast assignments "will be determined on a year-to-year basis."

ESPN will send Dave O'Brien and Cory Alexander to call the ACC tournament in place of Bilas and Shulman.

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