The Longhorn Network and its Effects on the Big12
Longhorn fans seem to be thrilled about having their own network. So many perks come with all of that exposure. With the network kicking off on August 26, 2011, Texas fans might want to take a step back and see what they are actually doing.
First and foremost, let me say that I think that the Longhorn Network is a terrible idea, but I don’t blame UT for signing the contract. If I were in charge in Austin, I would have done the same thing. ESPN has really raised some eyebrows around the country for this move. They are reportedly giving UT nearly $300 million for this network. There is nothing illegal about that. However, ESPN is supposed to be a journalistic network and this move is really calling their integrity into question.
Think about this: ESPN does well if Texas does well. When the Longhorns are undefeated and are playing for the Big12 Title, the ratings are higher because of their national appeal. Longhorn appeal is comparable to Notre Dame appeal. Wherever you go, there are UT fans and Irish fans. So ESPN makes the business move of investing in UT. After all, if Texas gets better, ESPN will get better ratings. Again, it’s legal, but awfully shady. But put yourself in Austin. Would you turn down a deal like this? Not if you wanted to keep your job. But UT failed to look over the huge stack of money at a bunch of pissed off Aggies and Sooners. That could mean bad things for Texas and the Big12.
Let’s look at this whole thing through Texas A&M’s looking glass. If you are calling the shots in College Station, then you get your recruits primarily from Houston and Dallas. You’re going to hate the Longhorn Network because you hate everything burnt orange, and UT is getting more exposure than you are. High school kids will be watching the Longhorn Network because it will be showing high school football games. A kid who is on the fence between playing for UT and A&M will be swayed toward the Longhorns because of the Longhorn Network. Who wouldn’t want to play for a school that has already aired one of their games on national TV? The same goes for Oklahoma, but on a larger scale.
Sooner fans expect to compete for BCS games. OU will not sit back and watch Texas take their recruits. What, then, is preventing Oklahoma and Texas A&M from leaving the Big12? Nebraska did it because they wanted a bigger cut of the money-pie. Rumors about A&M wanting to move to the SEC have been abundant recently. The fact that the Aggies have not released a statement regarding their future in the Big12 only reaffirms the fact that the rumors are carrying weight. The SEC makes a lot more money and A&M could keep strong recruiting roots in Houston and Dallas. Oklahoma can probably go wherever they would like. They get most of their recruits from Oklahoma and Texas, so little would change for them. That would almost force the hands of Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Kansas. The Big12 would not survive as “Texas and friends.” The conference almost collapsed after Nebraska and Colorado left. I can’t see it withstanding another exodus of major football schools.
Let’s imagine ourselves as the two biggest UT fans that walk this planet. We both bleed burnt orange and white. As we sit down to watch some sports, (assuming we have already read through collegesportsmadness.com) we have two choices. We could watch the Longhorn Network, which is currently covering UT women’s rowing, or we could watch anything else. It is hard for me to imagine that even the most die-hard UT fan will sit and tolerate the 18 sports covered on the Longhorn Network that are not football and basketball. Which begs the question: Is anybody going to watch? With all due respect to the Longhorn’s women’s rowing team, I’m not quite sure they appeal to the masses like the other sports on T.V. do.
Perhaps I am looking at the worst possible scenario. Perhaps I don’t quite see the good that the Longhorn Network can do for college sports. Regardless, there are undeniable signs that the Big12 has a gloomy future. For Texas, being atop the conference is a good thing, but driving away your competition is not. UT is now walking a fine line of power, and the eyes of Texas are upon them.
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