Butler’s run to the NCAA championship game must terrify the Texas Longhorns. After all, the tightly constructed autocracy UT has established in Texas and its extrapolation across the USA to the other fiefdoms of college sports only allows the upstarts to hurl a few darts at the monoliths. All ended well with Duke’s victory. A close call, but money, power, prestige, and position prevailed again.
The Texas Longhorns enjoy the adoration of many fans across the Lone Star State. The number has been growing steadily as a new generation of athletes and fans, oblivious to the separate programs but equal status days of the Southwest Conference, have no reference point for the glory days of TCU, SMU, and the University of Houston. Even boomers have a hard time remembering Rice’s glory days.There is documentation that they did indeed occur.
So how did UT accomplish its air-tight take over of major college sports in Texas? UT’s encouragement of Arkansas to flee the nine-team SWC is well documented by Tobi Writes on Bleacher Report. Its hyper focus on its bottom line guided the process of every step of the way.
bleacherreport.com
4/14/10
