▁asked ▁the ▁conference ▁to ▁consider ▁adding ▁Houston ▁as ▁a ▁member . ▁ ▁Second ▁wave ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Texas ▁A & M ▁Board ▁of ▁Reg ents ▁met ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁long - term ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁Long horn ▁Network , ▁a ▁new ▁TV ▁channel ▁devoted ▁to ▁Texas ▁Long horn s ▁sports ▁that ▁was ▁set ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁month ▁later . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁the ▁meeting , ▁an ▁official ▁of ▁ESP N , ▁partners ▁with ▁Texas ▁in ▁the ▁network , ▁gave ▁a ▁radio ▁interview ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁strongly ▁hint ed ▁that ▁the ▁network ▁would ▁also ▁te lev ise ▁high ▁school ▁games ▁of ▁potential ▁Long horn s ▁rec ruits . ▁ ▁( Tex as ▁oper ates ▁the ▁University ▁Inter sch ol astic ▁League ▁( UI L ), ▁the ▁gover ning ▁body ▁for ▁public ▁school ▁athlet ics ▁in ▁the ▁state .) ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Sports ▁Illustr ated ▁writer ▁Andy ▁St ap les , ▁the ▁Long horn ▁Network ▁broadcast ing ▁high ▁school ▁games ▁( to ▁the ▁potential ▁benefit ▁of ▁Texas ▁and ▁the ▁det r iment ▁of ▁the ▁conference ' s ▁other ▁Texas - based ▁schools ) ▁" was ▁too ▁much ▁[ for ▁A & M ] ▁to ▁bear ." ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁made ▁new ▁rules ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁high ▁school ▁tele cast s ▁( and ▁the ▁NCAA ▁would ▁ultimately ▁declare ▁that ▁such ▁broadcast s ▁would ▁be ▁considered ▁in ▁viol ation ▁of ▁rec ruit ing ▁rules ), ▁the ▁Reg ents ▁decided ▁to ▁purs ue ▁an ▁inv itation ▁to ▁the