SEN. KOLKHORST, OTHER LAWMAKERS SEEK TO INVOLVE LEGISLATURE IN UT’S POSSIBLE DEPARTURE OF BIG 12

  

State Senator Lois Kolkhorst is part of a group of lawmakers who are concerned about a potential shakeup of college athletics.

After several outlets reported that the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma are considering leaving the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC), lawmakers on Friday announced the filing of Senate Bill 76, co-authored by Kolkhorst.  The bill is a companion bill to House Bill 298, also filed on Friday, which would require legislative approval for public universities in Texas to change collegiate conferences.

However, legislators can only pass bills placed on the agenda by Governor Greg Abbott, and the House currently does not have a quorum after Democrats left the state to protest the consideration of new voting laws.

The Texas Tribune reported this week that Kolkhorst and three other representatives with ties to Texas universities have met with Abbott’s staff to discuss the potential impact of the move on other colleges in the state, particularly other schools in the Big 12.

Kolkhorst, who graduated from Texas Christian University in 1988 and played on the women’s golf team, joined Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), who graduated from Texas A&M University; Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), a graduate of Texas Tech University; and Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano), who graduated and served as student body president at Baylor.

A move by UT and OU from the Big 12 to the SEC would greatly affect the remaining Big 12 schools in Texas, which include TCU, Texas Tech and Baylor.  It would also affect Texas A&M, who joined the SEC in 2011.  Texas A&M officials have already expressed opposition to the move.

Kolkhorst declined comment to The Texas Tribune, and has not responded to KWHI’s request for comment.