Got this from the KU board and supposedly they got it from Chip

[isuno1fan]

TAPPING THE BRAKES?Texas Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), who heads the House Higher Education Committee, wants to slow everything down and determine if decisions involving Texas schools in potential conference realignment are being made for the right reasons.Branch is calling for hearings on Wednesday morning and told Orangebloods.com on Saturday that he'll invite the presidents from Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M as well as presidents from Baylor, TCU, SMU, Rice, Houston, UTEP and North Texas. Branch also plans to invite Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and possibly even Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott.Branch said he also wants to hear testimony from some economists about the long-term financial impact of having major universities in Texas leave the Big 12."There's a lot of questions about the look to the west and how that affects multiple sports programs and students and what kind of dollars are involved," said Branch, who attended Oklahoma Christian as an undergrad and SMU law school."Why does it make sense to go so quickly? Does it make sense to look west versus east and what are the options?"We're talking about changing the habits of a lot of students, and apparently there's a lot of money in play. These are important public assets, our universities. So the members have some questions because it's caused considerable interest, questions, e-mail traffic and blogging that has ended up in the members' districts."It's not just being driven by Baylor, which is obviously making a strong push among its alumni around the state. But also the alumni of SMU, TCU, the University of Houston. And we've got people at Texas A&M and even at Tech and Texas who have questions."Maybe it is a good thing to move this quickly and this fast. And maybe it is a good thing to have a group of Texas schools go to the Pac-10. But if it is, let's lay out the case before the public."Branch said House Appropriations Committee chairman Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie) and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) would also sit in on the hearings."We're not trying to micromanage," Branch said. "But on the other hand, we're trying to get plenty of transparency because we're getting a lot of pushback at a lot of questions."

[gocubs2118]

Ugh, if its going to happen, let it happen. I don't want this thing to drag out any longer.

[isuno1fan]

I agree...this could get ugly in Texas and make this drag out

[CYVADER]

invite everyone but us, kansas, ksu, and mizzou.

nice

[MisterTwister]

invite everyone but us, kansas, ksu, and mizzou.

nice

I think it is a State of Texas thing with the legislature, not a Big 12 thing. I understand why the remaining North is not involved.

[jbhtexas]

invite everyone but us, kansas, ksu, and mizzou.

nice

He didn't invite OU or OSU either. Anyway, why would schools from outside of Texas be invited to hearings before the Texas state legislature?

[HiltonMagic]

invite everyone but us, kansas, ksu, and mizzou.

nice

kansas, ksu, mizzou, and we are in texas? when did this happen?

[CYVADER]

He didn't invite OU or OSU either. Anyway, why would schools from outside of Texas be invited to hearings before the Texas state legislature?

cuz i'm ****** off and they just should

[HiltonMagic]

I heard Texas State was ****** they didn't get an invite.

Texas State Wants In On Expansion Talks

[PGreen ISU '92]

As painful as it is, if the Texas Stae Legislature does get involved then that means there is a better likekly hood of the Texas schools including Baylor sticking together. If that happens there is a better chance of the Big XII not dissolving. This is an advantage to Iowa State. The best case miracle scenario is that the Big XII sticks together and adds TCU and the University of Houston. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State move to the North and we are back in business.

[Stelrs1995]

I heard Texas State was ****** they didn't get an invite.

Texas State Wants In On Expansion Talks

[gocubs2118]

As painful as it is, if the Texas Stae Legislature does get involved then that means there is a better likekly hood of the Texas schools including Baylor sticking together. If that happens there is a better chance of the Big XII not dissolving. This is an advantage to Iowa State. The best case miracle scenario is that the Big XII sticks together and adds TCU and the University of Houston. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State move to the North and we are back in business.

Why do you want to add more schools from Texas? We need schools from up North, not south.

[alarson]

We will *not* be adding more schools from texas. Beebe said one thing that made sense in his teleconference friday, and that is any schools added would have to make sense financially. Adding TCU\Houston would not increase the tv market and thus would just dilute the payout for the other 10.

Id like to go to 12, with some more northern teams (louisville? cincy? air force?) but id rather keep it at 10 than add TCU and Houston.

[PGreen ISU '92]

Nebraska Moves to Big Ten and Pushes Big 12 to Brink - NYTimes.com

This kind of got overlooked today; however, I think it is important. This NY Time article states that there is a possiblility of Congressional hearings being held in July in regards to conference realignment. Another long-shot at best but I definitely think it is important. That coupled with Texas State Legsislative involvement could help.

[Cyclonepride]

Here's how it will go: this ******* will stop the process right after the Big 12 disintegrates, and right before we get a new conference.

How about you focus on the ******* economy, Dan, because there are no conferences when we're all trading whiskey and smokes as currency.