The University of Texas recently made a great deal with ESPN to launch their own network, "The Longhorn Network." This gives Texas a large amount of money, new facilities, and a recruiting advantage over other Texas schools. This is why I am with a large proportion of A&M fans when I say that Texas A&M needs to jump conferences to the SEC. The SEC would level back out the playing field for A&M as far as recruiting goes in Texas, and is significantly more economically feasible for the university.
You can argue either way as to who is causing the destruction of the conference, in many peoples opinions it's Texas, but I can't necessarily blame them for making good business decisions. However, I would be extremely surprised if within 5 years the Big 12 Conference still existed. Many people think when the conference ultimately falls apart that some schools will end up in the PAC and others in the SEC. Texas A&M needs to be proactive though to protect their own interests and get into the best conference they can.
The Texas Legislature is ultimately going to try and block any proactive move that Texas A&M makes because of how it would affect the rest of the state. If Texas A&M jumps ship to the SEC this leaves Baylor and Texas Tech, two other Big 12 schools without too much of an option. Texas will obviously be fine, with their money and new deal, whether that is being independent or by going to the PAC. What concerns the legislature is if a power conference doesn't scoop up Texas Tech or Baylor. If a power conference doesn't scoop up these schools it means a significant loss in revenue for the schools. I truly do not believe that this is the legislatures place to say which conference a school should be aligned with. With as big as college sports are in Texas it's hard for it to not have an impact on elections. Legislatures that are given political fundraising by Baylor or Tech alumni may be influenced to repay the favor and help to keep the Big 12 conference alive because for those schools it looks like that is currently their best option.
Ultimately the Texas Legislature should stay out of which school a conference wants to be aligned with. I think the Big 12 conference will be dead within a few years, so there is no need to keep a boat that's sinking afloat. A&M should be allowed to move to the SEC with Oklahoma, while Texas either goes independent or moves to the PAC 12. Hopefully Texas Tech and Baylor can see the writing on the wall to try and secure a place in a decent conference so that the legislature doesn't step in to try and block any of this from happening. The legislatures place isn't in college sports.
I absolutely agree with you. I actually wasn't even aware that the legislature could do anything about the conference. Being an aggie I am in favor of A&M moving to the SEC not only for the recruiting boost, but for better competition as well. It's without a doubt not the state legislature's place to control which conference a university is a part of. College sports is not a matter of government. And with the government continuously cutting public university's budgets, the schools have to do whatever they can to keep their program alive. In today's society college sports is an extension of the image of a university. The better a university is at sports, the more prominent and well known it is, and the more potential students that want to go there. So for the legislature to control a school's ability to market itself, they are ultimately damaging not only the school's athletic program, but the school altogether.
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