Longhorn Network to televise high school games?
I can’t imagine folks from Big 12 schools outside the Austin city limits are all that fired up this morning.
According to multiple reports, the NCAA and ESPN’s Longhorn Network are working out a few kinks that will allow the LHN to broadcast several high school football games.
Say what?
This can’t be sitting well with Bob Stoops or Mike Gundy — the fact that their recruits could be telling friends and family on Facebook, “Hey, turn on the LONGHORN NETWORK to watch us play School X.”
The Houston Chronicle had a good story breaking down all the yet-to-be-hammered-out details of the LHN and high school games, but it sounds like there’s a good chance it’s going to happen.
A couple of interesting notes:
* The Texas High School athletics association, the University Interscholastic League, already has a deal with Fox Sports, which airs the Texas High School playoffs. That means the LHN would have to deal with individual school districts to play non-playoff games.
* The UIL also has rules prohibiting showing live games on Friday nights. That rule, according to the Chronicle, will still apply to the LHN. So most of the games would have to be tape-delayed.
* Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds told the Chronicle that ESPN would be completely responsible for scheduling the games and that UT would be “safe..when it comes to NCAA issues.”
Sure seems like this is something the NCAA would like to put their stamp on. We’ll see.
– Assistant Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
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