West Virginia University in the US will launch a new rights sales process for a package of its athletic events after a review by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey found that there were “significant errors” in the previous sales process.
In January, the Charleston Daily Mail newspaper said that the IMG agency’s college sports division, IMG College, had acquired the package of rights in a 12-year deal, from 2013-14 to 2024-25.
“While our office found significant errors and sloppiness in the process warranting a rebid, we did not find any evidence of intentional wrongdoing or intentional interference that might be used to advance a pre-determined result,” Morrisey said.
The university’s president, Jim Clements, said: “It is clear from this report that mistakes were made in the procurement process, and we will take proactive steps to fix them. Starting over is simply the right thing to do.” A date for the launch of the new sales process has not been set.
The report said that the university should review and clarify its procurement process, better educate staff members about how to avoid conflicts of interest, and should also keep rights bids confidential.
A date for the launch of the new sales process has not been set.