Windmill Hill Gang
Member
Forward to me in an email from a Baylor friend. Said to have been sent today.
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AUSTIN
September 19, 2011
Honorable Members of the Board of Regents President William Powers Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds
The University of Texas
Austin, Texas 78701
Dear Members of the Board of Regents, President Powers and Director Dodds:
The undersigned members of the Texas Legislature write to urge you in the strongest possible terms to help us preserve the Big 12 Conference. We respectfully submit that this would be the best result for the University of Texas and for Texas as a whole. We strongly urge you to remain in the Big 12 and to grow and strengthen it as we describe below.
First, we are each grateful for the many public statements many of you have made over the past year stating that your top priority is to save, stabilize and grow the Big 12. We applaud you and are in complete agreement with you regarding this worthwhile and eminently achievable goal.
With the announcement on Saturday that Pittsburgh and Syracuse are leaving the Big East to join the ACC, we have a unique opportunity to grow and strengthen the Big 12. We propose that the remaining members of the Big 12 (with or without Oklahoma and OSU) merge with the remaining six (soon to be seven with the addition of TCU) members of the Big East into a newly configured Big 12 Conference. This would create a strong 14 (or 16) member conference, and the stability of the new Big 12 would be insured going forward.
More importantly, the treasured traditions of Texas college football would be preserved and enhanced for the millions of Texans who value crisp fall afternoons filled with 100-year rivalries played in a region that allows fans to attend the games and enjoy the pageantry and fun of Texas college football on a regular basis. The thought of Texas A&M going east and ofUT and Texas Tech going to the West Coast is tragic for those of us who love our college football.
And of course it is well known that the loss of these games would mean a serious blow to the economies of our communities and state -at a time we can ill afford it.
We suggest that the following significant benefits would come from bringing the remaining Big East schools into the Big 12:
1 Your stated goal ofpreserving the Big 12 would be accomplished.
2 The Big 12 conference office stays in Texas and the regional rivalries of over one hundred years continue to be played in our State with the benefit of economic development and jobs. Our money stays in the region and isn't exported to Washington, Oregon or California.
3 UT keeps its Longhorn Network intact with no changes. IfUT goes to the Pac 12, the network must be reconfigured, thereby costing the University millions of dollars in revenue.
4 The newly constituted Big 12 allows the remaining seven schools to share as much as $75 million in early exit fees paid to the Big 12.
5 A merger of these two great conferences would insure a continuation of the large TV contracts that are in existence for both conferences.
6 Our basketball programs will be enhanced by connecting with Big East basketball tradition.
7 There is a good fit academically between the Big 12 schools and the Big East schools.
8 The reuniting of TCU with the other three Texas Big 12 schools is reminiscent of the old Southwest Conference. Nostalgia sells tickets and advertising revenue.
9 With a l4-school super conference, we could much more easily attract two more universities and perhaps have a l6-team super conference.
10 The new Big 12 would be able to keep its Bowl Championship Series designation, meaning national championships are in the future of the Big 12.
We urge you to consider the many sound reasons for continuing the Big 12 with the inclusion of the Big East. This conference has existing strengths that cannot be manufactured in other conferences.
We exist in the best time zone (CST) and geographic location (south) for both television and future growth. Adding the East Coast and the television markets in the East will only expand the Big 12's reach. We have the best football resources for both recruiting and fan interest. We have a conference that allows for more future economic freedom as we deal with a dynamic sports world.
We respectfully urge you to take advantage ofUT's unique position to use your influence to bring home a better than ever Big 12 Conference. Obviously this opportunity needs to be accomplished quickly, as the face of college sports is changing by the minute. Of course we will help you in any way we can.
We urge you in the strongest of terms to take this action and turn this difficult situation into a win-win for Texas.
Respectfully yours,
Representative Ken Paxton Representative Charles "Doc" Anderson
Representative John Davis Representative Craig Eiland
Representative Jim Pitts Representative Mark Shelton
Representative Diane Patrick Representative Bryan Hughes
Representative Ken Legler Representative Armando Walle
Representative Jose Aliseda Representative Linda Harper Brown
Senator Brian Birdwell Representative Larry Phillips
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AUSTIN
September 19, 2011
Honorable Members of the Board of Regents President William Powers Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds
The University of Texas
Austin, Texas 78701
Dear Members of the Board of Regents, President Powers and Director Dodds:
The undersigned members of the Texas Legislature write to urge you in the strongest possible terms to help us preserve the Big 12 Conference. We respectfully submit that this would be the best result for the University of Texas and for Texas as a whole. We strongly urge you to remain in the Big 12 and to grow and strengthen it as we describe below.
First, we are each grateful for the many public statements many of you have made over the past year stating that your top priority is to save, stabilize and grow the Big 12. We applaud you and are in complete agreement with you regarding this worthwhile and eminently achievable goal.
With the announcement on Saturday that Pittsburgh and Syracuse are leaving the Big East to join the ACC, we have a unique opportunity to grow and strengthen the Big 12. We propose that the remaining members of the Big 12 (with or without Oklahoma and OSU) merge with the remaining six (soon to be seven with the addition of TCU) members of the Big East into a newly configured Big 12 Conference. This would create a strong 14 (or 16) member conference, and the stability of the new Big 12 would be insured going forward.
More importantly, the treasured traditions of Texas college football would be preserved and enhanced for the millions of Texans who value crisp fall afternoons filled with 100-year rivalries played in a region that allows fans to attend the games and enjoy the pageantry and fun of Texas college football on a regular basis. The thought of Texas A&M going east and ofUT and Texas Tech going to the West Coast is tragic for those of us who love our college football.
And of course it is well known that the loss of these games would mean a serious blow to the economies of our communities and state -at a time we can ill afford it.
We suggest that the following significant benefits would come from bringing the remaining Big East schools into the Big 12:
1 Your stated goal ofpreserving the Big 12 would be accomplished.
2 The Big 12 conference office stays in Texas and the regional rivalries of over one hundred years continue to be played in our State with the benefit of economic development and jobs. Our money stays in the region and isn't exported to Washington, Oregon or California.
3 UT keeps its Longhorn Network intact with no changes. IfUT goes to the Pac 12, the network must be reconfigured, thereby costing the University millions of dollars in revenue.
4 The newly constituted Big 12 allows the remaining seven schools to share as much as $75 million in early exit fees paid to the Big 12.
5 A merger of these two great conferences would insure a continuation of the large TV contracts that are in existence for both conferences.
6 Our basketball programs will be enhanced by connecting with Big East basketball tradition.
7 There is a good fit academically between the Big 12 schools and the Big East schools.
8 The reuniting of TCU with the other three Texas Big 12 schools is reminiscent of the old Southwest Conference. Nostalgia sells tickets and advertising revenue.
9 With a l4-school super conference, we could much more easily attract two more universities and perhaps have a l6-team super conference.
10 The new Big 12 would be able to keep its Bowl Championship Series designation, meaning national championships are in the future of the Big 12.
We urge you to consider the many sound reasons for continuing the Big 12 with the inclusion of the Big East. This conference has existing strengths that cannot be manufactured in other conferences.
We exist in the best time zone (CST) and geographic location (south) for both television and future growth. Adding the East Coast and the television markets in the East will only expand the Big 12's reach. We have the best football resources for both recruiting and fan interest. We have a conference that allows for more future economic freedom as we deal with a dynamic sports world.
We respectfully urge you to take advantage ofUT's unique position to use your influence to bring home a better than ever Big 12 Conference. Obviously this opportunity needs to be accomplished quickly, as the face of college sports is changing by the minute. Of course we will help you in any way we can.
We urge you in the strongest of terms to take this action and turn this difficult situation into a win-win for Texas.
Respectfully yours,
Representative Ken Paxton Representative Charles "Doc" Anderson
Representative John Davis Representative Craig Eiland
Representative Jim Pitts Representative Mark Shelton
Representative Diane Patrick Representative Bryan Hughes
Representative Ken Legler Representative Armando Walle
Representative Jose Aliseda Representative Linda Harper Brown
Senator Brian Birdwell Representative Larry Phillips
