Conference realignment to get political in Texas this week

[All About the Green]

College football -- and college athletics in general -- will get the full attention of the higher education committee of the state's House of Representatives on Wednesday morning. That meeting, thanks to a five-day public-notice law, will come a day after the Texas and Texas Tech boards of regents meet to discuss whether their respective schools should stay in the Big 12 or leave for the Pac-10. While some believe the regents will vote on moves Tuesday, Branch, the chair of the higher education committee, believes the schools will wait until after Wednesday's hearing.

"To make a final decision before Wednesday," Branch said, "would not be wise."

Branch said the chief executives of Texas (Bill Powers), Texas A&M (R. Bowen Loftin) and Texas Tech (Guy Bailey) already have accepted their invitations to testify before the committee. Branch also hopes to have representatives from Baylor, Rice, Southern Methodist, TCU, Houston, North Texas and UTEP. Branch also has invited several economists as well as the commissioners of the Pac-10, SEC, Big 12, Mountain West and Conference USA.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/06/13/expansion.sunday/#ixzz0qnVZTSBc

And the plot thickens

 

[Mike N]

The best quote from the SI story was at the end....

"These are big public institutions," Branch said. "They come in every two years for their budgets. I think we have a good working relationship. ... I think the public higher education community is interested in maintaining a good relationship with the legislature."

Not much of a veil on that threat, was there?