Texas lawmakers make push for Houston's inclusion into the Big 12

[Fuzzy]

ESPN

 

HOUSTON -- About two dozen Texas lawmakers are supporting efforts to get the University of Houston admitted to the Big 12 Conference.

 

State Reps. Garnet Coleman and Bill Callegari, both from the Houston area, co-wrote a letter Thursday asking Big 12 officials to consider adding the university to the conference.

 

"UH is the third largest university in Texas, and is on track to rank among the top research universities in this state," the letter says. "Despite UH's local and statewide prominence, the university does not belong to a strong BCS conference such as the Big 12. The Cougars, the city of Houston, and the state of Texas deserve better."

 

Houston is a member of Conference USA and was a member of the Southwest Conference until 1995.

 

Conference USA officials did not immediately respond Thursday to messages left by The Associated Press. Big 12 officials said commissioner Dan Beebe was not available to comment.

 

The Big 12 is set to lose two schools after Nebraska committed to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-10. Beebe has said the league has no plans to add any teams from within its five-state area, which includes Texas.

 

Coleman said he is not deterred by Beebe's stance.

 

"I don't quit," Coleman told the Houston Chronicle. "I don't start something I'm not going to finish. If I didn't think this was a worthy endeavor, I wouldn't have started it. This is the beginning of this effort, not the end."

 

Earlier this week, Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder said he believed that any new member of the Big 12 would have to bring $15 million in value.

 

"I don't really think right now that there's anybody that brings that kind of value, and then it would complicate matters if you had 11 schools," he said. "I think 10's a good number. I really believe that it gives our conference champion a better chance to advance to the BCS Championship Game."

 

 

What is it with these lawmakers...dont mean this to be a political statament but...

 

We have unemployment, hunger, gulf crisis, wars, more problems than most can fit in their brain...etc. etc. etc. and they are involved in College football? Again!?

 

they should lose their jobs. lets let college football be college football, not a part of the legislative branch

 

College football is a big money-making enterprise that involves a lot of public, government funded schools. There's nothing wrong with the government taking some interest in this from a business/economics angle.

 

Yea, Conference realignment goes well beyond College Football and the Althetic Programs that the school runs.

[Street Novelist]

What is it with people from Texas? Does everyone there act like this?

[sd'sker]

Nebraska out, Houston in. There goes the argument that the conference is stronger. And I'm not talking just football-wise.

To their favor, Houston did have a pretty good run in the late 80's and early 90's. I see Houston as being a lot like TCU. They may not be tough but they'll play you tough and every once in a while, they'll trip you up.

well, they are a big school, so i think that means that once they do get going, they are more likely to be stable. just my thought.

[RedRex]

Nebraska out, Houston in. There goes the argument that the conference is stronger. And I'm not talking just football-wise.

To their favor, Houston did have a pretty good run in the late 80's and early 90's. I see Houston as being a lot like TCU. They may not be tough but they'll play you tough and every once in a while, they'll trip you up.

well, they are a big school, so i think that means that once they do get going, they are more likely to be stable. just my thought.

 

Mind over matter..I could care less who they add or snub. It doesn't matter so long as we are free of the "Texas Entanglements" that are popping up. Same problems SWC strangled itself with. No surprises at all that every school from University of Houston to Corpus Christi Institute of Pole Dancing is banging on their political connections to get a seat at the table. All the wink, nudge, and elbowing going on could turn Texas into the largest mosh pit on the planet.

[broganreynik]

I think it'd be a bit overkill to have 5 teams from one state in the same conference. Hell, might as well throw in SMU, TCU, UTEP, North Texas, and Rice while they're at it. Then they could be Big Texas + 6

[sd'sker]

Nebraska out, Houston in. There goes the argument that the conference is stronger. And I'm not talking just football-wise.

To their favor, Houston did have a pretty good run in the late 80's and early 90's. I see Houston as being a lot like TCU. They may not be tough but they'll play you tough and every once in a while, they'll trip you up.

well, they are a big school, so i think that means that once they do get going, they are more likely to be stable. just my thought.

 

Mind over matter..I could care less who they add or snub. It doesn't matter so long as we are free of the "Texas Entanglements" that are popping up. Same problems SWC strangled itself with. No surprises at all that every school from University of Houston to Corpus Christi Institute of Pole Dancing is banging on their political connections to get a seat at the table. All the wink, nudge, and elbowing going on could turn Texas into the largest mosh pit on the planet.

oh dear.

[VA Husker Fan]

What is it with people from Texas? Does everyone there act like this?

It's not just Texas, though they seem to have perfected this move. The Virginia legislature pushed hard to get Virginia Tech in the ACC. I forget exactly what they did, but they used some leverage with UVa. I wouldn't be surprised to see some action from the Kansas or Oklahoma legislatures if OU or KU made a move leaving OSU or KSU behind.

[huKSer]

I think it'd be a bit overkill to have 5 teams from one state in the same conference. Hell, might as well throw in SMU, TCU, UTEP, North Texas, and Rice while they're at it. Then they could be Big Texas + 6

After Arkansas left, that was the SWC: UTerus, aTm, Tech, Baylor, Houston, TCU, SMU

[deedsker15]

I think it'd be a bit overkill to have 5 teams from one state in the same conference. Hell, might as well throw in SMU, TCU, UTEP, North Texas, and Rice while they're at it. Then they could be Big Texas + 6

After Arkansas left, that was the SWC: UTerus, aTm, Tech, Baylor, Houston, TCU, SMU

 

hey i know...lets get 'em all back together for a good ol' reunion...call it the...the...the new southwest conference...now with more ncaa infractions than ever

 

[Foppa]

Completely hilarious. Guess what Big 12 minus Texass? You realize that you signed your life away to the state of Texass! Expect Sam Houston, Texas State, UNT, and SFA to join the Texass conference soon. Actually, When Texass eventually secedes from the USA because they're just too good for us all, that might be your one chance to escape the conference shower-room abuses you're going to regularly get.

[Hunter94]

yes, please, let's put all the texas a-holes in one league, texas, tech, a&m, baylor, houston,etc. and they can play together every year......some tv league that would be.......

[HuskerTrucker]

Just what they need, another Texas team...

[Bleeding Husker Red]

yes, please, let's put all the texas a-holes in one league, texas, tech, a&m, baylor, houston,etc. and they can play together every year......some tv league that would be.......

 

 

We can only hope...

 

And as an added bonus, since they'll be keeping more of their in-state recruits, not one of them will ever have better than a 7-6 record and never make a BCS appearance ever again.

 

You could even give them the texas bowl as their annual conference championship game thus ensuring nobody else in the country will ever have to put up with them in the post season.

 

Oh the ABSOLUTE JOY of such a future!!!