Texas Longhorns Basketball: Learn How to Watch Every Game

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The Texas Longhorns are one of the best schools in the NCAA. But its football program tends to overshadow its excellent basketball programs. It’s men’s team is struggling this year but the women’s team is one of the best in the nation. Read on to learn how you can watch every game without cable.

In a hurry? Watching Longhorns basketball is a bit complicated since many games air on Longhorn Network and ESPN+. If you want to be covered, you should sign up for ESPN+ ($10.99/mo) along with one of these services that provide the Longhorn Network:

• Sling TV: Get Sling Orange ($40.00/mo) with the Sports Extra ($11/mo) for the best deal in streaming.
• Vidgo: A great option for NCAA fans with 110+ channels for $69.99/mo.

The basketball program managed by the University of Texas at Austin, better known as the Texas Longhorns, has been active for more than a century.

Longhorns fans are lucky in the sense that their team’s prominence in the NCAA grants them various broadcasting options. Depending on the tournament series and game schedule, Longhorns games can be seen on six TV channels that broadcast on cable and through the internet; all of the options are available through various streaming platforms.

A couple of things that stand out about the Longhorns include their numerous NCAA tournament appearances and their draft contributions to the National Basketball Association.

This is the team where NBA superstars such as LaMarcus Aldridge and PJ Tucker were drafted from in 2006. In the following year, Kevin Durant was picked by the Seattle SuperSonics, and he has made the All-Star roster 14 times as of 2024.

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Texas Longhorns in the March Madness Tournament

The teams are set for March Madness 2024. The Texas men’s basketball team has been weak (for them) this year. But this will be their fourth straight March Madness appearance.

The Longhorns’ women’s team had is having a great season — ending the season at #4 in the rankings and winning the Big 12 tournament. This will also be their fourth straight trip to the tournament.

Watching Texas Longhorns Basketball Live: TV Channels and Streaming Services

The University of Texas at Austin is known as a college athletics powerhouse; as such, the school rates its very own regional video sports network. The Longhorn Network is home to more than a dozen athletic programs, and two of the most widely viewed are Longhorns men’s and women’s basketball. This channel operates under a joint venture agreement with ESPN; this means that the Longhorn Network does not have exclusive broadcasting rights for every game.

ESPN and ESPN2 carry quite a few Longhorns games, even if they are played at home. The college sports-focused ESPNU channel also broadcasts some Longhorns games, particularly when they go on the road to play regional teams outside of their conference.

When the NCAA tournament shifts into conference play, the Big 12 Now channel splits broadcasting of some Longhorns games with ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. Big 12 Now was acquired in whole by ESPN a few years ago, and the network is currently managed under ESPN+.

In essence, there are six channels that broadcast Longhorns men’s basketball games, and all of them are owned or managed by ESPN. The situation is similar for the Lady Longhorns games, but not on the main ESPN channel or ESPNU. If you wish to watch Longhorns women’s basketball, your four options are ESPN2, ESPN+, Big 12 Now, and the Longhorn Network.

Streaming Services for Texas Longhorns Basketball Games: A Comprehensive Guide

You can watch a lot of Texas basketball games by getting a general live TV streaming service because of the games that air on the major ESPN channels. But if you are a fan, you will want Longhorn Network, and only two streaming services offer it:

• Sling TV: Sling Orange ($40.00/mo) gets you ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. You can get all the ESPN college channels (including Longhorn Network) with the Sports Extra add-on for another $11/mo. (Sling TV review) (Sling TV March Madness guide and schedule)
• Vidgo: Get all the ESPN channels in its base package for $69.99/mo. (Vidgo review)

Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage but limits you to watching on one device at a time. Vidgo plan comes with a 20-hour DVR. It also allows you to live stream on up to 3 devices at once.

Both these services support the most popular streaming devices including Amazon Fire TV, Android Mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, and web browsers. Sling TV supports many other devices.

If you are more of a generalist when it comes NCAA sports, these are great services. They just don’t offer Longhorn Network:

• Fubo (formerly FuboTV): Get a ton of sports in this 150+ channel lineup plan starting at $79.99/mo. (Fubo review)
• DIRECTV STREAM: Get everything you expect from cable and much more for as low as $79.99/mo. (DIRECTV STREAM review)
• Hulu + Live TV: Offers 100+ live TV channels as well as ESPN+ and much more for $76.99/mo. (Hulu Live review)
• YouTube TV: Provides 100+ channels for $72.99/mo.

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The Legacy and History of Texas Longhorns Basketball

When the Longhorns basketball program started in 1906, it only took a few years for it to become a college sports dynasty.

From 1912 to 1950, the men’s basketball team posted just one losing season. Since 1939, the Longhorns men’s team has participated in 35 NCAA tournaments, and it has accumulated 28 conference championships.

The women’s team has played in the NCAA tournament 34 times, and it has emerged as Big 12 champion twice.

One of the most memorable streaks for the Longhorns took place from 1998 to 2015, when head coach Rick Barnes took the men’s team on a 16-year journey of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Barnes is credited with having made a very strong impression on Kevin Durant to become a versatile player.

Both men’s and women’s teams play home games at the Moody Center.

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Texas Longhorns Men’s Basketball: Team Insights and Analysis

The hasty and scandalous departure of head coach Chris Beard weighed heavily on the Longhorns during the 2023 season, but the team has done okay with Rodney Terry as interim coach.

As of mid-February, the Longhorns were on track to advance to the March Madness portion of the tournament. But the absence of Marcus Carr has been felt and the team has not played well recently.

The leaders on the team include Dylan Disu (points), Max Abmas ( assists), Tyrese Hunter (steals), Kadin Shedrick (blocks), and Dillon Mitchell (rebounds).

2023-24 Men’s Basketball Schedule

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Texas Longhorns Women’s Basketball: Team Insights and Analysis

In 2023, the Lady Longhorns are in their four year under coach Vic Schaeffer, and they have already advanced to the Elite Eight twice. If the team makes the Final Four this time around, this could be the beginning of the “Schaeffer Era,” which would be comparable to the Rick Barnes era for the men’s team.

Players to watch for this season include senior guard Anissa Gutierrez, who brings plenty of experience to the court, but her position is being challenged by sophomore Rori Harmon. Top performers are Madison Booker (points), Rori Harmon (assists, steals), and Taylor Jones (blocks, rebounds).

2023-24 Women’s Basketball Schedule

Wrapping Up

With all the above in mind, it is important to remember that the broadcasting of all Longhorns men’s and women’s basketball games falls under the umbrella of ESPN as of 2023. This is important to remember when choosing streaming packages because you want to choose one that is as ESPN-friendly as possible.

The scheduling and programming of college basketball games can also change in the future. College sports analysts see the Texas Longhorns basketball program sticking with ESPN for years to come, particularly if the teams continue to perform at the top of the Big 12 conference.

We recommend Sling TV for Texas Longhorns basketball fans. Save 50% on your first month of Sling TV.

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FAQs

What is Big 12 Now?

Big 12 Now is a branding channel for ESPN+. In fact, the full name is Big 12 Now on ESPN+. It’s just the place that ESPN+ puts its Big 12 events. So if you see Big 12 Now mentioned as a place to watch a game, just load your ESPN app and you will find it under ESPN+.

How can I watch other college basketball teams?

Check out our guides:

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Image cropped from Cory Joseph (5) and Alexis Wangmere (right) of Texas Longhorns vs Navy Midshipmen, Coaches vs Cancer Classic, November 8, 2010, Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas by Randall Chancellor under CC BY-SA 2.0.

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Frank Moraes

Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. He specializes in streaming, sports, and technology. You can see his writing on low-budget and "weird" film at Psychotronic Review — and many other places.

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