Texas lawmakers announce bill to require legislative approval of conference realignment, meet with governor’s office

Four influential Texas state lawmakers have voiced concerns to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office about the Texas Longhorns leaving the Big 12.

According to The Texas Tribune, Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and attended Texas A&M; Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, who received his law degree and MBA from Texas Tech and chairs the House Calendars Committee; Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence and was a student body president at Baylor; and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and a former TCU athlete met with Gov. Greg Abbott’s staff on Thursday.

On Friday, Bonnen, Burrows and Leach’s names were attached to a bill requiring legislative approval of conference realignment.

Burrows, Bonnen, Geren and Leach announce bill to require legislative approval of conference realignment, saying they’ve got over 30 initial coauthors #txlege pic.twitter.com/U33o1xrf04

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) July 23, 2021

Leach said the state legislature has an obligation to be involved in Texas potentially leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.

This is about much more than college sports. The impact UT’s decision would have on communities & businesses all across Texas would be real, substantial and potentially devastating. On behalf of those concerned Texans, the Texas Legislature has an obligation to be involved. https://t.co/j531wnrIWs

— Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) July 22, 2021

SDS Staff

Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.