Houston to BigXII tied to Texas Land Deal - BON

[leopold]

http://www.burntorangenation.com/2016/7 ... -expansion

[03Mustang]

Seems like something that is teetering very close to scandal

[smupony94]

Or giving the non Texas schools a reason to say no. Texas can say we tried

[Charleston Pony]

My guess is that the schools outside of Texas do not want another Texas school. I could see Memphis and Cincy getting invites and if the Texas/Okla schools make up one division, that eastern division with Kansas, KSU, ISU, WVU, Cincy & Memphis would be one heck of a bball division, just as the Texas/Okla division would be strong in football.

[NTXCoog]

Other than UH BoR Chairman and UT Chancellor and Houston State Senator saying it's not true, that's a pretty true looking rumor. You might say that UH and UT of course are going to keep it under wraps, but I don't think Whitmire would put himself out there like that.

http://www.hookem.com/story/texas-lawma ... in-big-12/

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, laughed at the idea. One of the most-tenured legislators said Houston’s push to join the Big 12 and UT’s land purchase are two separate issues. He supports the former but unloaded on the latter.

“For anyone to think there’s a swap there, I say not only no, but hell no,” Whitmire said. “They are separate and apart. I have heard from at least four other UT universities that they are concerned about the diversion of resources from their institution to a proposed, very expensive, unpurposed site in UT-Houston.”

[redpony]

So I guess we should just leave it that Fertitta 'financially enchanced' those with influence so that cougar high could get into the b12 and lower the b12's academic standards ever further.

[Pony^]

In search of a deal, UT leaps to become a Houston booster

In any case, Texas’ support for Houston is very transparent.

If UT was that altruistic, we all know it would have forfeited any and all rights to the divisive Longhorn Network years ago in the name of common interest. And that clearly hasn’t happened. And won’t. Nor will Texas budge and agree to extending the grant of television rights, which runs through the 2024-25 school year.

There’s nothing wrong with looking out for yourself. Of course, Texas has raised that to an art form.

. . . .

Just don’t think Texas is supporting this move out of the goodness of its heart. It’s not. It’s just good business and dirty politics. Texas wants to stay on Houston’s good side in case if it wants to expand its UT System empire. Oh, and maybe steal a certain coach down the road. Pals, right?

http://www.hookem.com/columns/bohls-search-deal-ut-leaps-become-houston-booster/

[Dukie]

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, laughed at the idea. One of the most-tenured legislators said Houston’s push to join the Big 12 and UT’s land purchase are two separate issues. He supports the former but unloaded on the latter.

“For anyone to think there’s a swap there, I say not only no, but hell no,” Whitmire said. “They are separate and apart. I have heard from at least four other UT universities that they are concerned about the diversion of resources from their institution to a proposed, very expensive, unpurposed site in UT-Houston.”

Whitmire said exactly what a politician must say about a rumor like this--whether that rumor is true or not. If the rumor is true, and Whitmire is aware of the conversations and the quid pro quo, he still has to say this. And given that he hasn't put anything in writing--nobody has put anything in writing--then the deal could easily get Houston into the Big XII, and later either drops or downplays its UT-Houston opposition, and no one can ever tie the two together. Nor will anyone care at that point.

[redpony]

and besides we all know that politicians never lie. Right Hillary?