Texas Stays In Big 12? New TV Deal Keeps Texas In Big 12

by NowPublic Staff | June 14, 2010 at 11:21 am

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Big 12 Realignment: Texas Longhorns Staying In Big 12 Latest Reports

The fate of the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 conference is beginning to become clearer as two reports indicate that Texas will stay in a 10-team Big 12 conference.

The Texas sports website OrangeBloods.com reports Texas will stay in the Big 12.

sources tell Orangebloods.com Texas is at the table with the 10 remaining Big 12 schools working on a TV deal put forth by commissioner Dan Beebe that would hold the conference together. If there is consensus, and it appears there is, the deal could be announced as early as Monday, sources said.

The New York Times also quotes am unnamed Big 12, Athletic Director that Texas will likely stay in the Big 12 largely because of reported re-negotiated TV deal by Big 12 commissioner Don Beebe ( an unconfirmed $25 million TV deal).

“Things are trending in a favorable direction for the Big 12 today,” the athletic director said. “It looks like Texas is getting ready to commit to the Big 12.

“They’re going to make a long-term commitment and basically accept the Beebe television proposal.”

It is unclear how the Texas decision will impact the other Big 12 teams that remain including, Missouri, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor University.

Texas stands to earn between $20 million and $25 million in television revenue, including money from its own network, in the reworked deal, according to Orangebloods.com.

The Longhorns network figures to generate between $3 million and $5 million, according to the report. Because the Big 12 has unequal revenue sharing, the deal will mean more money for Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, who all would receive at least $20 million annually from the new deal.

The other schools seven schools in the Big 12 would make between $14 million and $17 million, doubling what they currently receive in TV revenue.