When Texas A&M decided to jump from the Big 12, it raised a lot of eyebrows. It was the reason behind the move that triggered a revelation, though.
High school football has come a long way.
Texas A&M Athletic Director, Bill Byrne, said in a blog post: “We rebuffed an attempt to televise high school games on the LHN, arguing that this type of activity was a clear violation of NCAA rules.”
LHN being the Longhorn Network, and a clear violation being the truth. Recall, Texas and ESPN entered a 20-year deal to start a sports network dedicated to Texas Longhorns sports. A channel that would feature 24-hours of all Longhorns, all the time. Except, as it turns out, when they wanted to broadcast high school games.
That sent up an immediate red flag to schools, journalists and fans.
If the joint venture between the school and ESPN is planning to broadcast high school games, it is indeed a “clear violation” of some rule, right? Yes, as Title 13.10.3 which states:
“A member institution shall not permit a prospective student-athlete or a high school, college preparatory school or two-year college coach to appear, be interviewed or otherwise be involved (in person or via film, audio tape or videotape) on: (a) A radio or television program conducted by the institution’s coach; (b) A program in which the institution’s coach is participating; or (c) A program for which a member of the institution’s athletics staff has been instrumental in arranging for the appearance of the prospective student-athlete or coach or related program material.”
Meaning if you (the school) build it, they can’t come… if they’re being recorded. But, all rules are meant to be broken. Or bent. If enough money and power is thrown at them. Right now, the LHN is in discussions with the NCAA figuring out what is OK and what is not.
For the sake of continuity, the NCAA can not allow the LHN to broadcast games. Because, even if Title 13.10.3 weren’t a rule, the NCAA would have to rewrite and massage too many other rules to make televised games permissible.
Not to mention the inherit further-corruption of Texas high school football that would ensue.
Forgetting that Title 13.10.3 exists, NCAA rules only allow for 42 “evaluation days” during football season where players can be scouted by colleges and their recruiters. Those days must be outlined in writing – from the school’s athletic directors, no less – and recruiters may not visit any single recruit more than once during this time.
It makes televised games featuring the same team more than once impossible during the football season – including playoffs. Creating quite the eventual headache for the network.
But even if the LHN were able to jump through both of those hoops, the biggest (or smallest) and most difficult hoop to jump through involves improper benefits.
This is where it all comes together not in the favor of Texas and the LHN.
In many states high schools own exclusive visual broadcast rights to their teams. That is, if it has moving pictures, the schools own it. In fact, most recently, in Wisconsin, the WIAA won a court battle that gives the entire association exclusive broadcast and web-streaming rights to video content. A court decision that is said to set a precedent for other states across the country.
For the LHN this could have negative implications for their desire to broadcast high school games. It would mean that the LHN would most likely have to pay to broadcast a game.
A college (network) paying a high school? To broadcast a game, with a recruit playing?
This goes against nearly everything the NCAA has built to create a competitive balance for recruitment. It becomes a slippery slope in a gray area, no doubt. Creating a foggy scenario, to say the least.
Many people would be asking why is this (these) particular team(s) being broadcast? Are the Longhorns recruiting a player on this team? Both teams?
It is something the NCAA can’t allow. In fact, the biggest question is one the NCAA is currently tackling: What are the real, perceived and hidden benefits to the players on the teams being broadcast?
It is something the LHN is most likely trying to hide, for their own benefit.
Perhaps, the NCAA should err on the side of caution when ruling if the LHN can carry games – even if it causes a large ripple in the water. It would save – in the long run – a lot of time and effort on every side of this situation.
It would save the NCAA a lot of effort questioning Texas’ motivation for broadcasting particular games and a lot of time putting up the red tape to hold the broadcasts together.
On the flip side it would save schools – excluding Texas – a lot of time and effort trying to prove Texas was paying to see particular athletes play. And trying to prove they are violating Title 12.1.2.1.6.1 which reads: “Donations Credited to or Earmarked for a Prospective or Enrolled Student-Athlete. Donations credited to or earmarked for a prospective or enrolled student-athlete for athletics participation (e.g., as an individual or a member of a team) from a sponsor (e.g., neighbor, business) other than the individual’s relatives or legal guardians are considered improper benefits.”
It would also save Texas a lot of time and effort defending themselves from such attacks.
Jim Delany, Big 10 commissioner, said summed it up when he told ESPN Big 10 blogger, Brian Bennett, that: “If the NCAA in its wisdom, makes these games televisable, we’ll probably have to look at it. But it’s our position that it does nothing but confuse an already confused environment, and we’re going to stick to the collegiate telecasting of games.”
Sadly, “wisdom” and “NCAA” don’t always find themselves in the same sentence. And when they do, it often raises eyebrows.
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