College Confidential

Baylor football broadcasts have new radio home in D-FW

Baylor football broadcasts will have a new radio home in Dallas-Fort Worth, school officials announced today, with games carried by KSKY 660 AM. The broadcasts also will be available on three KSKY-affiliated FM stations: 92.9 FM in Dallas, 95.5 FM in Arlington and 99.9 FM in Fort Worth. The Bears open the season Friday against No. 14 TCU (7 p.m., Waco).

_ Jimmy Burch

The eyes of the NCAA are upon the Longhorn Network, making sure HS content is "acceptable"

NCAA officials released a statement today saying they will monitor the Longhorn Network to make sure it shows “acceptable content” in regard to high school sports.

“With respect to NCAA bylaws as the Association has continued to review the issue, acceptable content is limited to scores, statistics, standings and news video used to report those details,” the statement said. “We will continue to monitor the Longhorn Network to determine if the content is produced within those details.”

Earlier this summer, network officials expressed plans to show live games _ and, later, news-related highlights from high school games _ and were told such content was not permissible under NCAA bylaws because of recruiting implications.

_ Jimmy Burch

Former Gonzaga point guard transfers to Baylor to play football

Demetri Goodson, last year’s starting point guard for Gonzaga, has transferred to Baylor to play football. He will have two seasons of eligibility and can play immediately, school officials announced today, because Gonzaga does not have a football program.

Goodson (6-foot, 175 pounds), a Spring native, is the younger brother of Carolina Panthers’ running back Mike Goodson, a former Texas A&M player. A defensive back, Goodson last played football during his sophomore year in high school.

_ Jimmy Burch

Longhorn Network adds local carriers but will have no national distributor for tonight's launch

The Longhorn Network, which will launch tonight without a national distributor airing the first day of the 24-hour network’s existence, has announced agreements with six local operators in Texas, including Irving-based Consolidated Communications. Consolidated will be one of four Texas-based carriers, and the only one in D-FW, to show tonigh’s inaugural day of programming, which begins at 6 p.m.

Verizon officials have announced national distribution plans for the network, a collaborative effort between Texas and ESPN, starting Sept. 1.

In addition to Consolidated Communications, other Texas-based carriers that launched Friday included Bay City Cablevision, Mid-Coast Cablevision and Texas Mid-Gulf Cablevision. Two other local operators, En-Touch Systems and E-Tex Communications, will launch on Sept. 1.

The Longhorn Network will carry the football team’s Sept. 3 opener against Rice (7 p.m., Austin).

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne supports pursuing other conference options

Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne, who expressed a desire last year for keeping the Aggies' athletics programs in the Big 12 because it enhanced the opportunity to win national championships, released a statement today supporting president R. Bowen Loftin's move to explore other conference options. Loftin has requested information from the Big 12 outlining the procedures to be followed if A&M elects to withdraw from the conference, presumably to join the SEC.

“I support President Loftin and our governing board’s desire to explore all options regarding the future of Texas A&M,” Byrne said in today's statement. “We all want what is best for the Aggies. I’ve met with all of our head coaches to keep them informed and we all remain excited and optimistic about the future of Texas A&M athletics.”

The statement marked Byrne's first public comment on the topic since Loftin was given the authority by A&M's board of regents to negotiate on the school's behalf in regard to conference realignment on Aug. 15. Byrne declined comment after the regents meeting that day. 

_ Jimmy Burch

Big 12's Beebe says league "poised to move aggressively with options" if A&M departs

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said today that league officials are "poised to move aggressively with options" if Texas A&M departs the Big 12. A&M officials sent a letter to Beebe, dated Wednesday, asking the commissioner to outline procedures A&M should follow if it decides to leave the league.

A&M officials have acknowledged ongoing talks with the Southeastern Conference, initiated by A&M, that began on July 21. In a statement released today, A&M President R. Bowen Loftin said it may be “in the best long-term interests” of the school and the state for the Aggies to play in another league.

Beebe responed with a statement of his own. It said: “The letter received today from Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin will be addressed by the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors.  It remains our strong desire for Texas A&M to continue as a member of the Big 12 and we are working toward that end.  However, if it is decided otherwise, the Conference is poised to move aggressively with options.”

The Big 12 board of directors has its next scheduled meeting Saturday.

_ Jimmy Burch

Full text of A&M letter to Big 12

Below is the full text of Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin's letter to Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, officially notifying the league that it is exploring another conferencen affiliation ....

 

As  you know, the Texas A&M Board of  Regents  has  authorized  me to take  action  relating to  Texas A&M University's ("Texas A&M") conference alignment.  While this letter is  not a  notice  of  Texas  A&M's  withdrawal  from  the  Big  12  Conference  (the  "Conference"),  we are  exploring our options. 

There  has  been  a great deal  of  speculation and  comment in  the media  about  Texas  A&M  leaving  the  Conference,  including  discussions  of   other institutions joining the Conference.

If Texas A&M withdraws  from  the  Conference,  we want to  do  so  in  a  way  that  complies with the Bylaws and is  supportive of  your efforts to  seek a new member  of  the Conference.

We would  appreciate your conferring with the other member institutions and  outlining  for us the process to  be followed  by Texas A&M should it  withdraw from the Conference. We look forward to  hearing from  you.

Sincerely,

R. Bowen Loftin

President

 

_ Jimmy Burch

Verizon adds Longhorn Network to its national list of channel options

Officials at the Longhorn Network announced an agreement today with Verizon to carry the school’s 24-hour channel in connection with ESPN. Verizon’s FiOS TV is the first national distributor and the largest video service provider thus far to add LHN to its lineup of channels.

The national distribution agreement will allow fans with FiOS to start watching the network on Sept. 1, two days before the Longhorns’ football team opens its season with a Sept. 3 game against Rice (7 p.m., LHN). In the state of Texas, FiOS subscribers can watch LHN on channel 79 (standard definition) and 579 (high definition).

The network _ a 20-year, $300 million venture between Texas and ESPN _ launches Friday at 6 p.m., with a two-hour special followed by an 8 p.m. telecast of Texas’ volleyball game against Pepperdine.

Terry Denson, vice-president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon, said the move to add LHN underscores the company’s commitment to enhance its sports offerings to Longhorns’ fans who are “among the most loyal and enthusiastic in college sports.”

In the near future, officials said fans with a Verizon FiOS TV plan will be able to access the network online, on tablets and on smartphones.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

CBS Sports chairman says he does not envision SEC expansion "in the very near future"

Sean McManus, CBS sports chairman, said his network would revisit its contract with the Southeastern Conference in the event of conference expansion involving Texas A&M but added: “I don’t anticipate that happening in the very near future.”

McManus’ comment, made to Bloomberg TV, was reported in today’s editions of Sports Business Daily.

“When there is expansion, we’ll sit down and talk to the SEC,” McManus said. “If something materially changes in the conference, we’ll sit down and talk to them. But I don’t anticipate that happening in the very near future.”

An A&M source confirmed tonight that the process of going through legal issues related to a possible move to the SEC is ongoing but could be time-consuming because there are "a lot of complex issues" involved.

The New York Times cited an unnamed, high-ranking SEC official saying he did not expect any movement on the A&M front within the next week because of the ongoing legal issues involved with the school leaving the Big 12.

The idea of A&M joining the SEC has drawn some resistance from Vanderbilt, according to published reports, but it would take four “no” votes from SEC administrators to reject A&M. That does not appear likely. The unnamed SEC official told the Times: “I don’t think the SEC has any strong opinion against expansion.”

The official also said that the SEC was not  opposed to the idea of adding Texas A&M and then waiting before bringing in another university. That stance dovetails with the belief of A&M officials, who envision the possibility of being added as a solo team for the 2012 football season with a 14th team joining the league in 2013 to balance the schedule after SEC administrators have had more opportunity to sound out expansion candidates.

_ Jimmy Burch

Acho among candidates for Senior CLASS award

Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho, a senior, is among 30 candidates for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, given annually to a senior player who excels on and off the field. The acronym is short for the award's purpose: Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.

_ Jimmy Burch