All season long, Texas schools can share their students' games with their own communities. The moment those students earn a playoff spot, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) takes the broadcast rights, and families are sent to a paywall. We're asking the UIL Legislative Council to give playoff broadcast rights back to the school districts whose students are competing.
Under Section 868 of the UIL Constitution, the UIL "retains all broadcast rights to all UIL post-regular season events and activities." Schools that want to broadcast their own playoff games need UIL approval, and any deal they make has to fit inside the UIL's own contract.
Grandparents, deployed parents, and anyone who can't make the drive has to buy access to see their own kids play.
Districts build the teams, the facilities, and the broadcast programs. Then they have to buy back the right to use them in the playoffs.
Student broadcast and journalism programs get shut out of the biggest games of the year, the ones where they'd learn the most.
Decisions about how these students' games are shared are made far from the communities and elected boards who answer for them.
Playoff moments belong to the 14- to 18-year-old students who earn them, and to the families and communities behind them. Those communities already trust their locally elected school boards with their children every day.
The Texas Constitution makes local school districts the primary agents of public education, and communities elect trustees to govern them. Trustees answer to parents at every board meeting and every election. The UIL does important work to keep competition fair and safe, but it doesn't answer to voters.
Each community should decide how its students' games are shared, whether that means streaming free, partnering with hometown media, or letting student broadcasters call the game. This isn't about fighting the UIL. It's about trusting the people closest to our students.
Trustees are called that because they are trusted agents of our families. Decisions about how our students are seen and shared belong with those accountable to the families who entrust us with their children. — Adapted from the UIL Broadcast Policy Change Proposal
We've drafted replacement language for the UIL's broadcast rule. It keeps what works (e.g., championship contracts at scale) and returns playoff decisions to local districts.
Families are told the playoffs are "on the NFHS Network." But when we asked for the UIL's broadcast contracts under the Texas Public Information Act, the University of Texas at Austin, which houses the UIL, said it has no agreement with the NFHS Network at all.
Instead, UIL postseason media rights are managed through a contract between UT Austin and Sports In Action LLC (the company behind Dave Campbell's Texas Football), which then contracts with broadcasters itself. The University is now asking the Texas Attorney General to let it keep that contract confidential.
Our position is simple: the terms under which Texas students are monetized should be public.
School boards across Texas are adopting resolutions for local control of playoff broadcasting. Is yours next?
Waco, Texas. Adopted September 15, 2026. It supports giving districts the option to opt out of the UIL's postseason broadcast agreement, and a model where viewers can watch without a paywall. Read the resolution
Your district, association, or organization could be here. Add your name or take a resolution to your board.
Changes to the UIL Constitution go through the Legislative Council: school superintendents representing each conference, plus at-large members. The UIL lists the current members on its website. If your superintendent knows one of them, or your district shares a conference with one, that relationship matters. Ask your superintendent to share this proposal.
See the Current Council Members on the UIL WebsiteTrustees, superintendents, athletic directors, parents, coaches, student media advisors, and associations: tell us you're with us. We'll keep you posted and help your board take action.
Opens our sign-up form in a new window. You'll be asked to sign in with a Google account so we can verify every supporter's email address.
Follow along for updates on Facebook.
Questions, or want to talk about bringing a resolution to your board? Email schoolbroadcastrights@gmail.com.