5 Reasons Texas Longhorns Will Win a Basketball Title Before Another in Football

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The University of Texas is one of the most prestigious schools when it comes to winning national titles. Except when it comes to the men's basketball team.

The football program has won four national championships and 32 conference titles. The Longhorn baseball program has been the most productive sport of the three major men's sports. The baseball program has won six national titles, which is second only to Southern California who has 12.

The basketball program has yet to win a national title. They have made it to three Final Fours and have won 27 conference titles.

I will lay out five reasons why the Longhorn basketball program will win their first title before the Longhorn football program wins their fifth.

Lack of Prestige for Football Program

Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

The prestige is gone.

The Texas Longhorns football program used to be one of the most prestigious programs in all of football.

Those days are long gone. The Longhorns have not been relevant in college football since they lost in the national title game to Alabama in 2009. Since the national championship, they have had a record of 13-12 over two years; hardly worthy of their own network.

Football Program in a State of Flux

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The football team is very much in flux and it does not seem to be getting any better. Mack Brown has had a really nice run with Texas. He has been there since 1998 and never had less than a nine-win season until two years ago. It's time for a change.

Tennessee had a similar situation with Phillip Fulmer a few years ago. He coached 16 full seasons at Tennessee and won a championship. Fulmer almost ran off three wins for every loss.

Mack Brown has a similar resume as Fulmer yet he’s still at Texas. This is a big mistake. After a while, you have to change things up in a program because people become relaxed.

The football program already has lost the coach that was going to be the successor in Will Muschamp. Allowing Brown to stay will keep Texas from getting back to being prominent in football.

Losing High School Football Recruits to the SEC

Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

Football is a totally different animal when it comes to winning a national title. Football teams are composed of 22 players on the field. One player is not going to make or break a season like it will in basketball.

Football takes time to build a program and the Longhorns are not the same team they once were. Texas is starting to lose top recruits to the SEC. The Longhorns will feel that now more than ever because of Texas A&M moving to the SEC.

These high school recruits want to play in the best conference in the country and that is the SEC.

Turnover in College Basketball Makes It Easier to Turnaround a Program

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Just ask Kentucky how long it takes to build a winning basketball program.

Kentucky basketball is one of the most dominant programs in all of sports. John Calipari is an innovator and if Rick Barnes is smart he could steal a page from him. There is no reason why Longhorn basketball cannot be a national contender every year.

Universities that are in sports for winning need to invest in the one-and-dones.

College Basketball Coaches Have More Leeway

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

In college football, coaches can wear out their welcome. College basketball seems to go in another direction. The longer a coach is at one school, the more success they seem to have. 

Just look at the Final Four. Bill Self has been at Kansas since 2003. Thad Matta has been at Ohio State since 2004. Rick Pitino has been at Louisville since 2001. Calipari has only been at Kentucky for three seasons but he’s proven to be the exception.

You can add Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams to the list of coaches who have had success at the same place for a long time.

Rick Barnes has been at Texas since 1998 so he has the stability to get top-end recruits.

If the Texas basketball team can get lucky and grab a few of the top recruits, it could very easily win a title in the near future.