The Midnight Yell submitted an Open Records Request in July to acquire the television contract between ESPN and the University of Texas that outlines the content requirements and revenue sharing of the Longhorn Network. It recently received a redacted version of the contract, and helpfully outlined the most interesting and pertinent aspects to the deal. They include:
* The network has to show one live football game per year (This year it will be the first home game of the year against Rice) but both Texas and ESPN have a “mutual desire” to show no less than two live football games a year going forward.
* Texas can’t contribute to any future Big 12 channel.
* And the real kicker, which we reported earlier but without the specific language:. Texas can fire any ESPN commentator on the Longhorn Network who says anything negative about the program. Journalistic integrity, exit stage left.