VilCom has sold its sports Web sites devoted to coverage of Atlantic Coast Conference sports to Learfield Communications.
Effective Aug. 31, Learfield takes over GoHeels.com and ACCToday.com.
Jim Heavner, president of VilCom (formerly known as The Village Companies) announced the sale Thursday morning in an announcement on GoHeels.com. Heavner called GoHeels.com “the gemstone”.
Learfield said it plans to fold GoHeels.com into its site devoted to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill sports called TarHeelBlue.com.
VilCom’s sites were advertising supported and were known for outspoken commentary and in-depth coverage of the Tar Heels and other ACC teams with such noted writers as Barry Jacobs.
“We are proud of the extraordinary success these sites enjoy, with a huge and growing audience,” Heavner said on ACCToday.com. “But, while this small company was unusually successful, it is no secret that, in a changing Internet environment, it is hard to build a business of a standalone advertiser-supported Web operation.”
Heavner said in his GoHeels.com letter that he also wanted to focus on unannounced ventures for VilCom “that are inconsistent with what I would call the distraction and effort of our people in operating GoHeels.com.”
