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A group of Texan lawmakers tabled a bill on Friday banning public colleges and universities in Texas from switching affiliation to college sports conferences without legislature approval.
The move is in response to reports that the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma are preparing to leave the Big 12 to attend the Southeastern Conference.
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House Bill 298 – filed by Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock – has more than 30 co-authors but is effectively a symbolic move to express legislature displeasure. The bill is unrelated to any of the items on the agenda of Governor Greg Abbott’s special session, which means it cannot be converted into law.
Even if Abbott, a UT alumnus, added football legislation to the call for the special session, it would likely be fruitless as the legislature stalled after Democrats fled to Washington, DC 11 days ago to get the House quorum break and block a GOP voting law.
Burrows, who received his law degree and MBA from Texas Tech, said in a press release that Texas universities play a significant role in the economic development, tourism, and overall importance of their respective regions.
“A decision to move to another sports conference will affect the opportunities and stability of our publicly funded universities across the country and must be reviewed as transparently and comprehensively as possible,” he said.
Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, a Baylor University alumnus, also signed the bill. Leach was one of a small group of lawmakers who met with Abbott’s office Thursday to discuss objections to the move. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Leach said in a statement Friday that decisions related to reorienting the conference “could have potentially monumental ramifications for the entire state of Texas.”
“The effects could be devastating,” Leach wrote. “Such important decisions must not be made behind closed doors by a select few, nor should they be inappropriately influenced by extra-state interests that care little for the people of Texas.”
Burrows also said that Sens. Brian Birdwell, a Lamar University alumnus, would file an accompanying bill in the Senate; Lois Kolkhorst, a former Texas Christian University athlete; and Charles Perry, a Texas Tech graduate.
“The exceptionality of the great state of Texas cannot remain in the hands of a few, it is everyone’s responsibility,” said Burrows.
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Burrows did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
If UT and OU left the Big 12, it would have a drastic impact on the remaining Texan schools that are part of the conference, such as TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech.
The size and scope of the two schools’ football programs help to increase television revenue and interest in the conference for all teams. The SEC paid participating schools $ 44.6 million in television rights fees last year, and the Big 12 paid $ 38.3 million, according to reports from the Houston Chronicle.
This isn’t the first time UT is considering leaving the Big 12. It happened 11 years ago when it was considering going to the Pac-12 conference with Texas A&M until the Big 12 offered a bigger league payout.
Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2011. Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork told the Chronicle on Wednesday that the Aggies’ stance was clear: A&M wants to be the SEC’s only program in the state of Texas.
“A&M is a model university, and with the size and size of our location, we should have our own distinct identity in our own conference,” he said.
If UT and OU joined, 16 schools would be part of the SEC, making it the first national super conference.
Cassandra Pollock contributed to this report.
Disclosure: Baylor University, Lamar University, and Texas Christian University are financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the journalism of the Tribune. You can find a full list of them here.
The Texas Tribune is a non-partisan, nonprofit media organization that educates Texans about – and engages with – public order, politics, government, and statewide issues.
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