The Longhorns gain a network....

......and lose a conference?

Already OU and A&M are giving signals that the SEC is back in the running, and with Nebraska and Colorado done that would pretty much do it for the Big XII(X). OSU would end up somewhere (ACC?) while KU and KSU could probably move to the Big East with no problem at all. ISU would be in trouble, as would Baylor. However, I'm betting the Mountain West would welcome both of them as they move closer and closer to B(C)S status. (Hell, KU and KSU could end up there as well, which would probably put the Mountain West over the top.

That would leave Texas on it's own, where really they're better off being. Face it 'horns...you don't play well with others, no one really likes you (they just tolerate you) and you're one of the few University's with a fan base that could pull this off. Since the Big XII(X) is too dense to form their own network, your best option is to sever ties with the outside world and take the independent tack. Heck, you could even follow the Notre Dame plan and keep one historically tough out of conference game in Oklahoma (Michigan) their cross-state rival that's usually a win but not so much lately in Okie State (Michigan State) a rival that makes no demographic sense in Oregon (USC), some patsies in Baylor and Rice that you typically manhandle (Navy & well, pretty much all of the rest of Notre Dame's schedule) and a school in which you share something in common in Mississippi State (Notre Dame's Catholic cousin Boston College, for UT it'd be another school with some jerk fans that no one really likes).


Now, if only you could game the B(C)S so you can get in even when you're clearly not B(C)S caliber you'd be onto something. Given the money of your donor base (and let's be honest, the B(C)S isn't about good football) that should be no problem at all.

The Longhorn Network, I'm for it.