Texas Longhorns Continue To Dabble in Outside Industries

Just last week, the University of Texas launched its new H2Orange bottled water, Texas Purified Water, sold in a bottle designed as The Tower. The company is hoping to raise at least a million dollars for UT programs.

This week, they have released their plans to sell electric power. Yes, Branded Retail Energy (based in Dallas) has teamed up with UT to unveil Texas Longhorns Energy. The electricity, to be supplied by Champion Energy Services, is touted as 100 percent renewable energy to alumni and fans in deregulated parts of Texas, explains the Sports Business Journal.

Apparently, every new account will generate funds for the university, and consumers will receive memorabilia, merchandise, and event and ticket discounts, among endless possibilities for co-promotions with other sponsors.

According to SBJ, Longhorns' official merchandise sells the most royalties of any Collegiate Licensing Company's college programs. The school also has a banking and credit card connection with Bank of America, one of the biggest of the company.

Taking the affiliation from a college sports team to marketing set-ups isn't a new idea, due to the passion and enthusiasm many have to their alma mater or even just the college team in the city they are living in, but expanding it to an energy provider is an entirely new idea.

Branded Retail Energy thinks it will work.

"This is not a gimmick. This is renewable energy at a competitive price," Branded Retail Energy CMO Larry Weil told SBJ. "But when you combine it with the depth of passion people have for their university, it should be a powerful marketing platform."

While this writer is not that educated in the business of energy, it appears that there are already 50 major energy providers competing for the right to provide Texas with electricity.

It's clear that with UT boasting 280,000 alumni in the state alone, Texas Longhorns Energy should join these already established companies in the competition.