Bray Cary

Bray Cary, Jr. is an experienced media executive who built his own television sports syndication business and then became the architect of one of the most significant sports television contracts in history.

Cary developed and led the Sun Belt Conference Television Network until 1983. He then founded Creative Sports (later sold to ESPN), which became the nation's largest syndicator of college football and basketball games. He was responsible for creating championship week for ESPN, production of preseason events for the Dallas Cowboys and the Charlotte Hornets (NBA), all boxing on ESPN for ten years, and NASCAR events on ESPN and TBS.

In 1998, he joined NASCAR to lead the auto racing enterprise into a new era. As vice president of broadcasting and technology, he consolidated all television rights to NASCAR races under a $2.4 billion contract. In 2000 he negotiated the largest sports internet contract in history between NASCAR and Turner/AOL.

Cary returned to his home state to establish West Virginia Media Holdings LLC in Charleston, which has acquired an NBC affiliate in Clarksburg and CBS affiliates in Charleston and Wheeling. The State Journal, the only statewide weekly business newspaper, is also a part of the news network. Cary is the company's president and CEO.

A native West Virginian, Cary earned two degrees from West Virginia University: a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in public administration. He was commencement speaker for WVU's December 2000 convocation and is a past member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors and the WVU Board of Advisors.