Hey Longhorns, Aggies and Sooners: The Longhorn Network Isn't a Big Deal

Listen up Aggies and Sooners, it's time to get real about The Longhorn Network. The $15 million per year project with ESPN is simply not worth the emotional outcry it is generating. What kind of advantage is Texas really going to gain from the 24-hour commercial that it is bound to turn into? Let's address the arguments against the network and try to shed a light of reality onto the situation. 

According to many, the extra money is going to give Texas a huge advantage from a financial standpoint that no other team enjoys. Granted, the Horns will have more money, but they already have far more money than everyone else. So what does money get you? The best facilities, the highest coaching salaries and the ability to show off to recruits, parents, and students alike.

Great, Texas already has that. Are we to expect a retractable roof stadium, more luxury suites and the athletes to get their own personal assistants? Is Texas going to be allowed to line up 12 players on offense and defense? Not exactly. More money won't have much effect beyond fattening the wallets of those in charge at UT.

Another argument and perhaps the loudest of them all is the recruiting advantage Texas will gain by having it's own personal channel. I will admit that the news of possible high school games involving Texas recruits did raise an eyebrow. Whether that will actually happen is very much in doubt and I personally don't see it coming to fruition.

For the sake of argument, let's say it does. We're talking about Texas. Mack Brown didn't earn the title "Mr. February" because he missed on recruits very often. Texas is going to put up top-five recruiting classes whether there is a network or not. This "advantage" is much ado about nothing.

When it comes to Texas high school football players, the Longhorns normally get whom they target. Case in point, the Texas 2011 football recruiting class was top-five coming off a five-win 2010 season! The Johnathan Grays and Malcolm Browns were committing before the LHN and they certainly will after. Need I say more?

Finally, the potential of a Big 12 conference game coming to the LHN caused quite a stir. Again, this seems to be a bit overblown in terms of effect. Should Texas get this extra game, what's the advantage? The LHN is a third-tier network that will have low ratings. What comes into play is whether another school would want to play on the LHN or even have a choice.

With the new Big 12 television deal, most if not all of the conference games will be televised and it's doubtful any will be on the burnt orange channel. Dan Beebe has stepped in and nixed this idea for now and that should pacify the situation somewhat.

With the rumors of Texas A&M and Oklahoma renewing talks with the SEC, I will admit to having a knee-jerk reaction. Like many Texas fans, I adopted the "let 'em go, we'll go independent" attitude. But let's relax for a minute and think this out. What Texas fans have to understand is that rivalries matter in college football.

It took 100 years to create our two biggest rivalries and you can't throw that away over a little money and pride. No one will win if the Aggies and Sooners bolt for the SEC and Texas goes independent. Texas will find life in schedule-land a lot tougher, especially if OU and the Ags come to the reality that scheduling Texas along with Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Arkansas is basically insane.

Are Texas fans prepared to play the military academies and travel out of state for most of their road games? OU will probably miss their yearly conference championships and BCS bowl appearances and Texas A&M will miss challenging for conference titles at all.

I realize I'm simplifying this topic and there are many factors that go into the controversy that is the Longhorn Network. For me, however, it really isn't all that complicated. I'm a college football fan and I want to see the Longhorns, Aggies and Sooners work out their differences.

I ask the fans of these teams to really consider how much these rivalries mean to them. Can you really live without the electric environment and anticipation of the kickoff against your biggest rival? How about the feeling of joy and adulation as the clock winds down on a big win and a year of bragging rights. Who else are you going take pictures of the scoreboard and smack talk with such pride if it's not your lifelong rival? It's definitely something to think about.