Four days after announcing plans to "show high school football highlights as part of its news coverage, the Longhorn Network has hit another snag" ahead of Friday's launch, according to Mike Finger of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. NCAA Dir of Public & Media Relations Erik Christianson yesterday after a summit meeting on youth sports coverage said "nothing has changed" regarding high school content on university- and conference-affiliated networks. The NCAA BOD is "expected to issue a final ruling on the topic in six to nine months, but in the meantime, the ban on youth sports content stands." Christianson in an e-mail said, "Youth programming, which would include highlights, is not allowed." Last week, an ESPN spokesperson said highlights "in the context of news coverage" were "obviously a completely separate matter, and we plan to report on high school athletics in a way that is relevant to the audience." But ESPN and the Univ. of Texas "did not receive the go-ahead to do so" at yesterday's meeting (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 8/23). The NCAA said that yesterday's gathering in Indianapolis is the "start of a six- to nine-month process of gathering information and opinions before a decision on the issue by college presidents" who sit on the NCAA BOD (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/23). Earlier this month, the NCAA ruled that networks affiliated with colleges or conferences "could not carry programming involving prospective recruits, including showing high school football games" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 8/23).
