Longhorn Network Not Allowed To Carry High School Games

By Marcus Vanderberg 

Big 12 athletic directors voted unanimously to prohibit the Longhorn Network from airing high school sporting events Monday.

In addition, any conference games aired on the Longhorn Network would need the approval of the Big 12 and the opposing school.

Below is the full statement from the Big 12 Conference:

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“The Big 12 athletics directors met in Dallas on Monday and discussed content distributed on existing and future institutional and conference media platforms.

In previous discussions the Big 12 ADs unanimously agreed that no high school content would be distributed, consistent with NCAA rules. Today, the ADs of the Big 12 Conference unanimously agreed to establish a minimum one-year moratorium on the broadcast of any high school content (or any other content involving prospective student-athletes) via any medium branded as a Conference or member institution platform (and no use will be permitted thereafter unless and until the NCAA determines that such use is permissible).

In addition, the ADs recommend the Big 12 Board of Directors strongly request the NCAA Board of Directors establish a national moratorium for a minimum of one year in order for the entire NCAA membership to determine whether such use should be permissible under NCAA regulations. Â  The ADs recognize that this issue is complex and involves a detailed analysis of the recruiting model in many areas, including existing NCAA legislation related to the publicity of prospective student-athletes and the rapidly evolving world of technology. This process will take an extended period of analysis. The Conference will continue to monitor the broadcasting of youth athletics content.

In addition, the ADs learned and acknowledged that there may be contractual opportunities that allow more than one football game to be broadcast on institutions’ branded networks. That game could be a Conference matchup. In these instances both member institutions and the Conference office must agree to the selection. Such games would result in additional financial and exposure opportunities for the rest of the membership.

All actions by Conference athletics directors are subject to Big 12 Conference Board of Directors approval.”

 

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