The Longhorn Network -- Massive Success or Massive Fail?

"That shit pisses me off."

Those were the words spoken to me not by a fellow A&M or any other Big XII team fan, but a guy sitting at the bar in Gainesville, Florida with me watching the NBA Finals back in early June.

"Yeah, well, it makes me sick too.  And everyone else I know back in Texas.  Did you know they can show high school games too?  It's going to be the best recruiting tool for anyone in the entire country.  It's just bullshit."

"Yep.  I didn't care for them before, but now I hope they suck all the time.  I don't want to see that on my TV.  I don't know what I'd do if Alabama did this or Florida State.  They couldn't get away with it down here.  But it's all about the money you know."

Truer words may have never been spoken.  During the NBA Finals, fans across the country (and even the bar I was sitting at in Florida) were all blasted by the voice of Mathew McConaughey proclaiming to the world how great the state of Texas is and it's love for everything Longhorn, and asking you too to get in on the lovefest and order the channel today.

I have to admit, when I first heard the news of even the possibility of a Longhorn Network two years ago, I thought it was brilliant.  And that was before I learned ESPN would be the partner.  I mean, what fan wouldn't want their school on TV 24/7, showing live events?  Especially on an ESPN production?  Every fan in the country would want that for their school and the publicity they would get from it.  Not to mention the marketability overall for the university, expanding its brand to all parts of the country, and really the world.  Oh and the recruiting advantage.  Not just for football or basketball, but for all sports from softball to men's swimming and diving.  And I haven't even talked about the extra money.

In the world of college sports we live in today, where there is a Cam Newton or Will Lyles on every corner looking for a hand-out (it's all about the money folks), an arms face like we have never seen before is occurring.  Well, at least not as publicized with the dawn of social media.  And it doesn't have to do with facilities like in the 90's (something Texas was proactive in back then as well), but with TV contracts.  Just a couple of months ago, the new Big XII received $90 million from FOX for 2nd tier rights and in a few years the contract with ABC/ESPN will be expiring for the 1st tier, when an even larger pay day is expected.  Every school in the Big 10 is pulling in over $20 million thanks to their Big 10 Network.  The SEC just announced all schools would be receiving the same $18.3 million a piece for their media contracts for 2010-2011 academic year.  Texas' deal with ESPN and 3rd tier partner IMG?  An extra $5 million a year for $15 million a year total.  The new Pac-12 is currently in talks with Apple and Google for their own TV network (something I'm sure will be at the frontier of college sports) and the SEC is almost up for another payday to increase their $18.3 million it's schools are making.



The amount of money schools are receiving today for their media rights, all 3 tiers, is driving athletic departments to do whatever they can to increase the marketability of their product, squeeze every penny out of the deals that they can, and not be part of the number of schools whose contracts already look outdated (ACC and Big XII we are looking at you).  The money received in it's media rights is what almost broke the Big XII up, and the yearly promise of $20 million paid out to the "Big 3" of Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M is what kept it together.  College athletics isn't about the pride and tradition anymore; it's about whatever can bring the school and the conference the most dough (see Auburn's $200K to Cam Newton in advance for a national championship).  The Big XII South in the Pac10?  TCU in the Big East?  When does those things makes since to the pride and tradition of college sports?  It doesn't, unless you are looking at the pocket book.

That's why the Longhorn Network looks brilliant, and the rest of the Big XII school's look foolish for sticking around in a league that is outdated and doesn't play by the same rules.  (Everyone gets the same money?  Please.  What do you think this conference is, the SEC?)  But, at the same time that Texas comes out looking like geniuses again, there is a possibility their idea may flop.

Every good story needs to have villains.  That includes sports.  Look at LeBron James, the Heat, and the NBA.  Everyone now hates LeBron (well, at least most) because of "The Decision" last summer.  But the NBA?  David Stern loved LeBron.  NBA ratings have never been higher this season (think it's still smart to not play next season NBA?).  That was due in large part thanks to the Miami Heat and the villains they have become.  Ever listen to XM channel 91 in the morning, the College Sports channel?  Filled with talk of Ohio State, Jim Tressel, Cam Newton, Auburn and now Chip Kelly and Oregon (this will not end well for Kelly).  Everyone loves a good scandal and who done it.  Villains drive up entertainment value as the American people want to watch the proper justice handed down (unless you live in Orlando, Florida).

What I learned that night in the bar in Gainesville was that not only does the rest of the Big XII hate Texas, but soon the rest of college football world would hate Texas for their success.  And it would also celebrate their failures (5-7 anyone? Yes, we see you Iowa State) too.  The Texas Longhorns have soon become the New York Yankees of college sports.


Now the Yankees are a very prosperous organization.  They have their own TV Network as well.  They have their die hard fans, their T-shirt fans, and blood rivals just like the Longhorns.  But the Yankees also have loads of success to back it up.  27 World Series titles are theirs to go along with 40 AL pennants.  Texas?  Only 4 national championships in football, 3 of those coming between 1963-1970.  What about Conference titles?  32 all time, but only 3 of those have come come in the Mack Brown era.  And if we want to talk about Big XII conference success this year, the Longhorns walked away with 5 of the Big XII conferences 30 recognized championships.  Little brother Texas A&M?  9, almost doubling the Longhorns and besides from a Co-Championship in baseball regular season, most of those 5 came in sports like Men's Swimming and Diving, not football or basketball which is what the bulk of viewers will tune in to to see.

If the Longhorns plan on this TV deal working, then they have to produce.  Simple as that.  And 5-7 ain't cutting it.  And don't get excited about football this year Longhorns.  You don't have a quaterback, a secondary, any true offensive tackles on campus and your defensive line and wide receivers are average at best.  Basketball?  Rick Barnes did his job (no, not winning championships) by getting 3 players selected in the 1st round, talent that won't be back to a club that couldn't get out of the round of 32.  Baseball?  I'm sure Augie is going to field a good club (or at least a full bottle of liquor) but starting pitching is going to be questionable with Jungmann and Green gone.  If the Longhorns can't produce on the field or on the court, where are new TV viewers going to come from?  You surely aren't making friends from around the country right now.  What company is going to be paying for ads?  Texas Lawyers advertising how parents can get their star athletes out of charges from running into an apartment complex while "texting"?

Our friends from up north of the Red River have an interesting take as well:

So I really haven't seen what the big deal is, about the excitement on Texas' side or the resentment on its opponents' side.

The shows that have been announced for the Longhorn Network aren't exactly must-see TV. Longhorn Extra, a daily look at news from UT's varsity teams. Rewind with Mack Brown, a look back at the Longhorns' previous game. Game Plan with Mack Brown, a look ahead to the next UT tilt. Texas All Access, inside look at Longhorn teams, focused primarily on football. And Texas GameDay, a two-hour pregame show for football

Unless the 'Horns have signed Chuck Barkley and Kenny Smith, I think you're safe to pass.

Playback shows are worthless in this day of all games on television. Coaches shows have been dead for two decades, lost to the quicksand of paranoid and personality-challenged coaches, though Mack actually has more charm than most.

I haven't watched a Bob Stoops or Mike Gundy show in years. Back in 2003, I watched 11 coaches shows in a three-day span. C-SPAN was more exciting. Houston Nutt's show was decent; the others were torture.
And do you expect much meat from Longhorn Extra or Texas All Access? This is the second decade of the 21st century. Fans are accustomed to flipping on the television and watching Mike Golic and Trent Dilfer argue over who should quarterback the Miami Dolphins.

Think you're going to get any good discussion on Garrett Gilbert vs. Case McCoy? Think you're going to find anyone asking Mack how much dissension there was on his 2010 coaching staff?

Such omissions would work in 1965, when information was not so handy for the general nutso fan. When any morsel of news about your beloved alma mater was a precious jewel. When hearing your coach speak — actually hearing his voice — was a rare and mighty gift.

But the age of innocence is gone. Coverage of college football is so much more exhaustive today, from beefed-up newspapers to the Internet to talk radio. Fans are much more educated about their ballteam than fans of previous generations. And they know when they're being snowed.

You can read the whole article here

So just how is the Longhorn Network doing in advance of it's August 26th release?  Some news today may be a telling sign.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — ESPN's Longhorn Network will carry at least two Texas Longhorns football games exclusively on the cable channel, including one Big 12 game.

According to an ESPN statement released Tuesday, the Longhorn Network will carry the Rice-Texas game from Royal-Memorial Stadium in high definition exclusively at 6 p.m. CDT Saturday, Sept. 3. The second game will be a game still to be determined between Texas and a Big 12 opponent.

 Well, this is great right?  The Longhorns will not only get one, but now two games on their network!  Not so fast.  Programming information released earlier stated only 1 live football game a year would be included.  So why the change?  It's simple, really.  It's not rewarding viewers who have already signed on for the channel, it is trying to make the channel more enticing for big time cable networks and TV providers like DirecTV to pick up the channel.  To this point, none of them have. 

We went online to the official Longhorn Network website and simply entered in our Zip Code (College Station, 77840) and our major network provider (either Suddenlink or DirecTV).  

Easy experiment right?  Well, here are our results.

Well, that's a relief.  I'm sure many Aggies will go to sleep better tonight knowing that as of now, both Suddenlink and DirecTV aren't planning on carrying the channel.

But what about in Austin (78745)?  Surely their major TV providers will carry it right?

Yikes.

It's pretty clear ESPN/Texas is having a pretty hard time finding anybody to sign up.  And the addition of the second live game only validates those claims.  Let the Network becoming more enticing, so finally someone is able to carrier the product to the fans.  I mean, if DirecTV and Time Warner Cable isn't signed up yet, what person is going to call or sign up for the Network unless they bleed burnt orange (unfortunately, they exist)?



4 games could possibly be that one game that gets selected for the Longhorn Network.  Oklahoma State (too good for ABC to pass up), Texas Tech, Kansas, and Kansas State (talk about a strong home schedule in Austin.  I'm sure DKR will be packed and rocking again this season).  Adding the Texas Tech game to the Network would be brilliant.  Not only is it a big time game people will buy and tune in for, but Red Raider fans might just call in and pay the extra 2 bucks a month as well to get to watch their team in Austin.  It's the same idea as opposing fans buying up those $101 Baylor Football Season Tickets in Waco this year:  buy up what the other team can't sell so you can have the good seats for a low cost when your team visits Waco instead of paying a little bit less for crappy seats.  It's not like Baylor fans are using them anyway.  (They would most likely just put another tarp up.)

It's going to be a wait and see on the Longhorn Network, that is for sure.  Lots of pros, but a lot of cons (like Mack Brown's 3 shows a week on the network?  Come on Mack, you know how long that stuff takes to get ready for, actually shoot and produce while you have new coordinators Bryan ididn'truntheoffenseinboisechrispetersondid Harsin and Matt igiveupalotofyardsbutitlookscoolbecauseiblitz Diaz run a 5-7 football team?  Good grief).  It will be an experiment a lot of other programs, like say Notre Dame, will be watching as well to see the success or failure of the network.  What does ESPN care?  They are either making money off this thing or the money they waste doesn't hurt their bottom line either, they are too big for this experiment to really hurt them.

The most telling item of all? 

Ouch.  I don't think 7,768 people are going to get it done y'all.

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