ESPN Texas: Why You Have To Admire the Longhorns Athletic Department

I've never been a fan of the Texas Longhorns, but if there is something I admire, it's how they run their athletic department.

The Longhorns are in the news with the announcement of a deal between them and ESPN for a 24-hour Longhorn Network. The deal is worth $300 million over 20 years and will launch in September.

Along with showing Longhorn sports, it will also have original series, studio shows, historical pieces and other events pertaining to the university.

Excessive, you say? Exactly what's wrong with college sports? I disagree. In fact, it should serve as the blueprint of what other athletic departments should aim for. Texas is a well-oiled machine, and their athletic department resembles a Fortune 500 company.

The numbers are staggering: According to a press release last summer, the Longhorn Foundation—which raises money for the athletic department—has raised over $293 million for athletics. The funds go to scholarships, academic services and sports medicine and facilities.

A database kept by The Indianapolis Star examines revenue and expenses from college athletic departments during the 2004-2005 school year. Texas' total expenses were approximately $82,400,829, with total revenues of $89,651,682. That's a gain of just over $7.2 million.

Many athletic departments struggle to make a profit, but that's not an issue here. Texas generates revenue, and it has some of the swankiest facilities, gets the best recruits and is always in the hunt for national titles in multiple sports. If you're a high school athlete, why would you not want to go here?

At the center of it all is men's athletic director DeLoss Dodds, easily one of the most powerful men in college athletics and a Texas legend.

Dodds, who graduated from Kansas State, became the athletic director in 1981. Last year, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal ranked him 42nd on its list of 50 most influential people in sports.

Dodds was in the headlines last summer and was key in Texas' decision on whether to leave the Big 12 for the Pac-10 or stay put. Texas remained, of course, but fans began hearing even more talk then about the possibility of a Longhorns network.

It's here now, and I say congrats.

Texas shouldn't be ashamed that its athletic department is a giant and lands colossal deals like these. The Longhorns get more than enough exposure already, but that's about to increase. Recruits will take notice, which should give its sports more chances at success. That will attract more interest from businesses wanting to advertise and partner with Texas, which, yes, will lead to more revenue.

And the machine will keep rolling right along.