Texas’ Longhorn Network expected to be sunset as part of SEC deal
The Big 12 will suffer a major casualty when Texas and Oklahoma leave for the SEC, and they will also be losing a television network in the process.
The Longhorn Network was launched in 2011 to focus on, naturally, Texas athletics. Texas president Jay Hartzell essentially admitted on Monday that there will be no use for the network after the school moves from the Big 12 to the SEC.
Texas president Jay Hartzell on LHN's future: "The expectation is we'll wind it down, but we haven't talked specifically about what that will look like."
— Max Olson (@max_olson) August 2, 2021
Why? The biggest reason is the SEC already has its own network. Like the Longhorn Network, the SEC Network is affiliated with ESPN. Keeping both simply wouldn’t make sense.
Texas and Oklahoma may not move to the SEC until 2025, which is when their current media rights deal with the Big 12 expires. The Big 12 is going to be in rough shape when the realignment does happen, and it may open the door for other major changes in college athletics.
