Texas: Aggies had chance to partner in network

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds says Texas A&M could have partnered with the Longhorns on a regional network but the Aggies weren’t interested in the early planning stages.

Dodds tells The Associated Press he talked with Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne about a partnership about four years ago and Byrne wasn’t interested.

Dodds says Byrne tried to re-open discussions about a year ago, but by then it was too late. Texas had decided to create a network on its own. The Longhorns eventually signed a $300-million, 20-year deal with ESPN.

Byrne has said the Longhorn Network is a big reason A&M is planning to leave the Big 12.