Iona Prep Becomes First Accelerate Sports Network School In New York

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A Hudson Valley school with a storied sports history has opened a new chapter.

Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle will become the first New York school to join the newly launched Accelerate Sports Network, with the partnership set to begin this fall. The school said the move will bring expanded broadcasts, more school storytelling, and added sponsorship opportunities centered on its football program.

The new network is being launched by Accelerate Media and is modeled on the Super Football Conference Network, which began last fall in New Jersey. The company said the Accelerate Sports Network, or ASN, will expand its presence across the tri-state market and will also debut in Massachusetts this fall.

Iona Prep Athletic Director Ryan Mahoney said the school sees the partnership as an extension of its academic and athletic culture.

"As any Iona Preparatory #ScholarAthlete knows, ending a season first in the standings starts with being the first one seated and ready in the classroom, the first one in the building for weightlifting or practice, and the first to hold yourself accountable," Mahoney said. "Which is why we couldn't be more excited to become Accelerate Media's first New York scholastic partner and elevate the quality of our broadcasts, enhance our school's storytelling, and provide new, unique and scalable sponsorship opportunities to our teams' supporters."

Iona Prep has worked with Accelerate Media since October 2021, when New York became one of the first states to allow high school athletes to monetize their names, images and likenesses. Founder Doug Fillis has held seminars at the school and at other private institutions in Westchester for parents of student-athletes about navigating NIL.

Varsity football coach Joseph Spagnolo said the new arrangement could widen the reach of the program and the sport in the state.

"We are really excited to start this partnership with Accelerate Media; it will raise the bar for our program and also for New York high school football in general," the former Maroon & Gold quarterback said. "We are very fortunate to have a strong game day experience already, but this is a gamechanger that will put Iona Prep football on a national level from a viewership standpoint."

Accelerate Media said ASN will be led by John Willi, president of SFCN at the company and a former IMG and Playfly executive. "The success of the Super Football Conference Network has allowed us to expand into new markets, starting with New York and Massachusetts," Willi said. "With Accelerate Media and the Accelerate Sports Network, we're building something schools, sponsors and partners can trust and scale with, while delivering meaningful exposure and revenue opportunities that directly benefit participating programs and their student-athletes.”