Imminent Longhorn Network Causing Mass Hysteria Among Big XII Rivals

The old saying “You just can’t make some people happy, no matter what” seems to hold true  – at least in the case of the Longhorn Network.  As the programming models develop, the Aggies and Sooners rear their ugly heads and seem to think that they aren’t getting a fair shake out of the deal.   All Longhorn fans care about or want to know is whether or not their cable provider will offer the channel and will it cost anything?  Last year every team in the Big XII was begging the Texas Longhorns not to bolt for the PAC 10… to remain a part of the conference, to keep intact the Big XII reputation as a “formidable” conference.

Texas committed to stay in the Big XII with the expectation of pulling in approximately 20 million dollars annually and the option to pursue their own television network.  And pursue their own television network they did.  The University and ESPN joined forces to create the 24 hour “Longhorn Network” which is worth 300 million dollars over a 20 year period.  Wow.  Can I say it again?  Wow.  Notre Dame receives 9 million a year for their agreement with NBC to televise the Golden Domer home games on Saturdays.  Sure, the money is nice for Texas but it isn’t about the money.  It’s about beating up on Aggies and Sooners (and of course Bears and Tigers and Red Raiders).  The collective Big XII teams and universities breathed a GI-NORMOUS sigh of relief when Texas committed to stay with the Big XII, even though Nebraska and Colorado had bolted for the Pac 10 and Big 10, respectively.

So here we stand a month out from the debut of every Longhorn fan’s wet dream – a 24-hour television station that shows nothing but LONGHORN programming – and the pouting begins to resonate from College Station, Texas and Norman, Oklahoma.  Seems they have issues with the network they cordially approved the University of Texas to pursue.  They have a problem with high school football games being shown AND they have a problem with a Texas vs. Big XII conference opponent game being shown.  My opinion is that as long as the university does not break any NCAA (or FCC rules), then they have the right to show whatever they want.  The University’s pockets run long and deep and they need to flex their muscles from time to time – just to remind folks in Aggieland and Soonerville who’s who.  Whatever is on it, you can rest assured one thing – ALL Longhorn fans will be watching ALL the time.