Texas men's AD Steve Patterson has set an "expansive" agenda for the school that includes possibly playing a football game in Mexico City and "expanding the Longhorns brand into foreign markets like China," according to Kirk Bohls of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Patterson rhetorically asked, "What are the big markets we want to activate? What games do we play to benefit the broad interest of the institution, not did we go and beat some team?" Another one of his goals is "growing the budget" past its projected $169M of annual revenue this school year to $200M a year. Patterson: "We need to be north of that. Soon." Bohls reports Patterson is set on "finding more distribution outlets for the Longhorn Network amid speculation that it’s close to landing a deal with another large provider and raising its national-high Collegiate Licensing Company annual income" beyond its current $9.5M. That would put UT ahead of Alabama, Notre Dame and Michigan. He is planning on "inviting the Disney Institute to coach up Texas in areas of media relations and customer service as Patterson did at Arizona State." Patterson also wants to trim "any excess from what some consider a bloated staff of 393 full-time employees" and locate a "place for the new basketball arena." But Patterson "doesn’t appear to be starting his reign with a sledgehammer." He has been on the job for two months and "hasn’t yet fired a soul, though he does admit there is some fat that needs to be shed." Bohls writes, "Don't look for Patterson to go slowly." He appears to be a "man in a hurry" and is "already reviewing scheduling and marketing practices." Bohls: "It wouldn’t surprise if he announced a football game in another country in the near future" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1/29).
