Former Texas football coach Mack Brown, Assistant AD Ricky Brown and Longhorn Network analyst David Thomas "are all currently in Dubai on a football-related trip meant to explore future possibilities" for UT athletics, according to Brian Davis of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. UT men's AD Steve Patterson "has made no secret of his wishes to expand the UT brand." While he "is not on the trip," his Arabic-speaking wife, Yasmin, is there. The men’s basketball team will play the '15-16 season opener "against Washington in China." Department officials "are actively looking at moving a football game to Mexico, another idea on Patterson’s wish list" (STATESMAN.com, 4/21). CBSSPORTS.com's Dennis Dodd cited a source as saying that Dubai "became an attractive location" due to "Texas oil interests in the country" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/21). FOXSPORTS.com's Teddy Mitrosilis noted there is "no timetable for playing football games in other countries, but it seems to be a matter of when more than if at this point, as Patterson appears determined to position Texas on the forefront of international scheduling." Meanwhile, whenever Patterson "has been asked about resuming the rivalry with Texas A&M, he has been lukewarm (at best) about the idea not because of the Aggies, but because it's not clear to him what business purpose that football game serves for his university" (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/21).
