Texas Longhorns’ potential Big 12 exit raising concerns in state Legislature

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Updated at 4:54 pm with new information throughout.

AUSTIN –– Less than a day after news broke that the University of Texas was planning to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference, a North Texas lawmaker said it would seek laws that require legislative approval before taking such action can.

College football fans flocked to social media on Wednesday afternoon after the Houston Chronicle first reported that the Big 12’s two biggest brands, Texas and Oklahoma, had reached out to the Southeastern Conference for potential entry into the top division of the Landes to be included.

What could be a recipe for disaster for the Big 12, the move would force their remaining programs to instantly create future fixtures in the blink of an eye. Officials from Texas and its arch rival in the north declined to comment, although none denied the report.

But it wasn’t long before state legislators interfered. On Thursday morning, Plano Republican MP Jeff Leach questioned UT’s social media transparency and announced his intention to work on a bill that would require UT’s approval before leaving the conference.

The lack of transparency of our flagship institution is wrong. Such a monumental economic and educational decision, affecting the entire state, must not be made in one bubble on forty acres. Working on legislation that requires legal approval for UT to bolt the BIG XII. #txlege

– Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) July 22, 2021

“The lack of transparency of our flagship institution is wrong,” Leach said in a tweet. “Such a monumental economic and educational decision that affects the entire state must not be made in one bubble on forty acres. We are working on legislation that requires legal approval for UT to bolt the BIG XII. “

Leach added in a later tweet, “This is about a lot more than just college sports. The impact of UT’s decision on communities and businesses across Texas would be real, significant, and potentially devastating. The Texan legislature is obliged to cooperate on behalf of the Texans affected. “

And just like that, Texas politics and Longhorns football share headlines in the middle of summer. But with the runaway Texas Democrats staying in Washington DC and denying a quorum in the House of Representatives, all bills will likely have to at least wait for a quorum.

The former Baylor Bear’s tweet was received by Munster Republican Drew Springer, a North Texas alum, who said he would vote against the law while campaigning for the UNT to fill the Texas post.

“Just replace UT & OU with UNT and TX State,” Springer said in a tweet. “More money for Texas schools. I would also like to see Mean Green win at Waco in a few years. “

Chuck Carrolton of the Dallas Morning News reported that Kevin Eltife, the former Texas Senator from Tyler, played a key role in moving the process forward.

Texas A&M took exactly the same step and fled the Big 12 in 2012 to participate in the SEC. The minority of the impact has led both the Longhorns and Aggies to argue over whether the grass in Austin or College Station has been greener since the split. They haven’t met on a real soccer field since the split, so the arguments start and end regardless of the fertilization of both programs on social media.

Now, a decade later, the richest program in the country is trying to get on with the conference the Aggies left them for. On the SEC side of things, the Longhorns and Sooners would need three-quarters approval from the 14-person conference. In this case, her magic number is 11.

But as Leach’s swift legislative action shows, such a breakthrough move is sure to encounter political obstacles. After all, Texas politicians – Ann Richards, Bob Bullock, and others – are a big reason the Big 12 formed in the 1990s along with the Longhorns and Aggies from Baylor and Texas Tech.

However, with Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan, both Texas exes, they are unlikely to face equal opposition from the Big Three.

Ross Bjork, Texas A & M’s athletic director, made clear his stance on the potential flagship move to the Aggies in the SEC: “We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas. There’s a reason Texas A&M left the Big 12 to be self-sufficient and have our own identity. And that’s our feeling. “

When asked about the rumored developments at the SEC media days, Jimbo Fisher, Texas A & M’s head football coach, replied, “I bet they would. I’m just worried about A&M. “

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