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Texas legislature introduces bill in attempt to block Texas leaving Big 12 for SEC

By Patrick Schmidt

Jul 14, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks to the media during Big 12 media days at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 14, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks to the media during Big 12 media days at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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It may be a Hail Mary but Texas lawmakers introduced a bill in an attempt to block Texas from fleeing the Big 12 for the SEC.

Texas and Oklahoma will reportedly officially reveal their intentions to leave the Big 12 for the SEC early next week. The news is all but a formality at this point after the last few days revealed their desire to leave the dying Big 12, declining to renew their Grant of Rights through 2025 and how the SEC would realign to make way for two of the founding members of the Big 12.

But Texas lawmakers aren’t giving up without a fight.

On Friday, a group of lawmakers filed a bill that would bar the University of Texas from switching their conference affiliations without approval from the legislature.

Can the Legislature block Texas from leaving Big 12 for the SEC?

According to the Texas Tribune, “House Bill 298 — filed by Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock— has more than 30 co-authors but is effectively a symbolic move to express the lawmakers’ displeasure. The bill is unrelated to any of the topics placed on Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda, which means it’s ineligible to be passed into law.”

So all that to say, this has zero chance at stopping Texas (and Oklahoma) from joining the SEC.

It’s too little and far too late, especially since it’s been reported that this move has been discussed in back channels for as long as a year.

Of course, you can’t fault the lawmakers for this gesture, even if it is a hollow one, because the effects of them leaving the Big 12 have far-reaching effects on the state and the remaining Big 12 universities, including Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor within the Lone Star State.

That doesn’t mean Texas and/or Oklahoma will feel sorry for the other universities or the damage they are leaving by burning the bridge behind them as they leave for the greener pastures of the SEC.

All this means is it’s a chance for these lawmakers to tell their constituents that they tried all they could to keep Texas in the Big 12.

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