With Texas essentially walking away from the LHN arrangement in order to join the SEC, you’d think the LHN will simply fold.

But instead… what if they reloaded and rebranded??!! Conferences do this all the time. (so do cable networks, too)

So: what team (or teams) should the LHN pursue to replace Texas, and how should they rebrand going forward?

There’s more at play here than just these two schools bolting the Big XII. The LHN has ruined the conference. It’s destroyed a chance for the Big XII to reap the benefits of their own network. There were major players that exited the league and they cannot replace what was lost. I don’t see the LHN ever transitioning to another team. That’s not how it works.

From another thread

(07-22-2021 07:52 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(07-22-2021 07:11 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(07-22-2021 06:58 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-22-2021 06:52 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Here is Chip Brown's take
https://247sports.com/college/texas/Long...168072920/
If you remember, he is extremely well connected on the Texas POV

Key quote

Quote:ESPN also controls the rights to the Longhorn Network thanks to a 20-year, $300 million agreement signed in 2011 that runs through 2031.

That deal is backloaded. Even though it averages $15 million per year, it started out with ESPN paying Texas roughly $6 million in Year 1 with gradual increases each year so that the majority of the money is paid out in the final 10 years. Those most-lucrative 10 years are about to begin.

Texas officials have told me they’ll never walk away from the LHN contract. The only way they’d do that is if ESPN paid it off - in full - to terminate the agreement or figured out some other way to make Texas whole on the entire $300 million.

Could the money ESPN saves by shutting down the Longhorn Network be uses to pacify the Big 12 to let Texas and Oklahoma out a year or 2 early?

How can the money be saved if the way to shut it down is to pay Texas for the contract?

Guarantee the Texas-Oklahoma less Big 12 what they are making now for the duration of the contract using the savings from the Longhorn Network shutdown. 2 to 3 years of overpaying for a lesser Big12 beats 9 to 10 years of paying a backloaded Longhorn Network contract.

Texas doesn't get the money, but they get to escape their grant of rights. BIG 12 has 3 years reprieve.

It does get tricky as Oklahoma is involved too as is Fox. But basically turning over a significant chunk of the Longhorn Network money to the Big 12 may be able to get Texas out early

The Sooner Net and LHN could be rebranded as the Big12 network.

(07-22-2021 08:13 AM)UHCougar08 Wrote:  There’s more at play here than just these two schools bolting the Big XII. The LHN has ruined the conference. It’s destroyed a chance for the Big XII to reap the benefits of their own network. There were major players that exited the league and they cannot replace what was lost. I don’t see the LHN ever transitioning to another team. That’s not how it works.

The LHN is an ESPN creation to keep Texas in the fold. Won't be needed if Texas goes to the SEC. I can't imagine ESPN wanting to morph it into a Big 12 network without either Texas or Oklahoma involved.

And this take from the other thread that might actually work (since it is co-owned by ESpN and UT)

(07-22-2021 06:30 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The 12 team playoff gives Texas and Oklahoma cover. The Big 12 will make dramatically less money but they will still have access to the big post season—that is of course the powers at be don’t come back and switch to an 8 or 10 team model.

If I’m the Other 8, I make Texas and Oklahoma stay the duration of the GOR.

I’m curious how the LHN fits into this. Personally, I think they should rebrand the LHN as SECN West and the existing SECN as SECN East.

I also hope that TTU and Oklahoma St can leverage lengthy series with their instate rivals.

(07-22-2021 08:22 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(07-22-2021 08:13 AM)UHCougar08 Wrote:  There’s more at play here than just these two schools bolting the Big XII. The LHN has ruined the conference. It’s destroyed a chance for the Big XII to reap the benefits of their own network. There were major players that exited the league and they cannot replace what was lost. I don’t see the LHN ever transitioning to another team. That’s not how it works.

The LHN is an ESPN creation to keep Texas in the fold. Won't be needed if Texas goes to the SEC. I can't imagine ESPN wanting to morph it into a Big 12 network without either Texas or Oklahoma involved.

Let's not forget when Texas signed the deal for the LHN it was still one of the top powers in college football, a position that has eroded in the CFP era.

Moving to the SEC is Texas ticket to walk away from the mess.

(07-22-2021 08:25 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  And this take from the other thread that might actually work (since it is co-owned by ESpN and UT)

(07-22-2021 06:30 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The 12 team playoff gives Texas and Oklahoma cover. The Big 12 will make dramatically less money but they will still have access to the big post season—that is of course the powers at be don’t come back and switch to an 8 or 10 team model.

If I’m the Other 8, I make Texas and Oklahoma stay the duration of the GOR.

I’m curious how the LHN fits into this. Personally, I think they should rebrand the LHN as SECN West and the existing SECN as SECN East.

I also hope that TTU and Oklahoma St can leverage lengthy series with their instate rivals.

Hey! I recognize that post

B12 can buy the assets of LHN in the fire sale and rebrand it to their own use.

(07-22-2021 12:40 PM)Ohio Poly Wrote:  B12 can buy the assets of LHN in the fire sale and rebrand it to their own use.

UT can barter it to pay a couple mil of the $72mil owed!!!

The LHN should be fired into the sun and absorbed into the current SEC Network