Good news, Texas Longhorn fans. Alcohol sales at certain Texas athletic events have been so successful that the school is now evaluating whether to offer it at football games.   

But you’ll probably have to sell a kidney for tickets to enjoy that $8 beer.  

The recent hike in ticket prices, primarily in football, was one of several topics discussed by Texas athletic director Steve Patterson at the Associated Press Sports Editors southwest regional meeting Sunday.  

Patterson discussed where the athletic department is, and where it’s heading.  

One of the most intriguing topics was the expansion of the University of Texas brand. 

It’s part of his initiative to give Texas a global presence, both academically and athletically. 

Recent moves include the Texas volleyball team hosting a top-tier Chinese club team for an exhibition. The Texas women’s soccer team hosted Monterrey Tech for a regular season game last fall. 

This October, the Texas men’s basketball team opens the 2016 season against Washington in Shanghai, China. 

All of that could pale in comparison to a possible Texas football game in Mexico City. 

While Patterson said the school is “still having conversations about it,” and that there are still hurdles abounding, he conceded that there could be an international college football game before the year 2020. 

That’s all well and good, but it’s hard to fathom Texas fans giving up a home game for the sake of the school expanding its image. 

It’s also hard to imagine collegiate football drawing a large crowd internationally.

And let’s not forget – this isn’t a team of overcompensated professional athletes. Like, say, the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, fresh off of a Super Bowl win, which played two exhibitions in Mexico City. 

We’re talking about college students who are still being exploited, even with the so called “stipend,” by those who oversee their experiences. 

But at least there could be enough burnt orange in Mexico City to line Patterson’s and the Unviersity’s pockets. 

That is what it’s all about, right?  

Outside of what seems like Texas’ next big profit grab, Patterson said the school continues to work on providing student-athletes with an “experience with the best possible outcomes, the best possible facilities and coaching.” 

It goes without saying that coaching has been a bigger topic of conversation of late. 

Patterson has shown he isn’t above firing tenured coaches who haven’t pulled their weight. 

It still was a smart move by Patterson to jettison UT head basketball coach Rick Barnes. 

But where exactly does he stand on baseball coach Augie Garrido, who’s in the midst of a dismal year? 

Patterson said he’s “spoken some” with Garrido. He maintained Garrido has struggled to deal with the amount of injuries the baseball team has had. 

While he said he’ll sit down with all staff for evaluation, as is his style, he may have played his hand with his closing remarks on the subject.  

“Augie’s had a great run. It’s been a great program for a long time,” Patterson said.  

But it was the discussion on the increase of football ticket prices that drew the most interest for me – and perhaps the most ire.  

Several reasons went into the rate hike. One of the major ones, according to Patterson, was providing Texas athletes with the “best in-class services.”  

To do that, raising ticket prices, primarily with “beach front property” seats, was the natural move.  

 But Patterson said that across the major universities, Texas’ ticket prices were “consistently below average, below even the lowest quartile amongst our best seats.”

That’s kind of hard to believe, especially when ticket prices, especially nosebleed section seats, have continued to rise over the years. 

Many fans will remember when you could buy a Texas football ticket for $11 at the local Randall’s. 

Of course, this was immediately after Texas’ abysmal 4-7 season, which saw the firing of Jon Mackovic. 

Eighteen years, Mack Brown, Vince Young, a national title and a stadium expansion later, and ticket prices have shot up significantly. 

No longer can the hard working, normal 9 to 5 fan afford to take their family to a Texas football game without taking out a second mortgage. 

In essence, Texas is out-pricing the majority of its fan base. And while Patterson said the school is working to make tickets that aren’t “beach front property” more affordable, the reality is they are anything but. 

For some fans, paying more to help the student-athletes is a worthy cause. And it is. 

But Texas needs to remember where its real fans are — the ones who don’t make seven figures.