Regents OK A&M to look at realignment
August 15, 2011
Kristie Rieken, Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas --
The Texas A&M Board of Regents has given President R. Bowen Loftin the authority to move the Aggies out of the Big 12.
The board took the action Monday, giving Loftin the OK to take any action he deems necessary when it comes to conference alignment. There has been speculation that the Aggies are looking to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The SEC on Sunday reaffirmed its 12-school alignment, but left the door open for expansion.
August 15, 2011
KWTX.com
WACO (August 15, 2011)—As Texas A&M Regents met Monday to authorize the school's president to move the Aggies out of the Big 12 Conference, economist Dr. Ray Perryman released an analysis that concludes that if A&M were to leave, the state would lose 3,050 jobs and $217.2 million in output each year, even if the rest of the conference remains intact.
The Aggies' departure would reduce state fiscal revenue by $28.2 million a year and losses to local governments would total $13.1 million, Perryman estimated.
Texas House committee won't meet about A&M
August 15, 2011
Kristie Rieken, Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — A Texas lawmaker has indefinitely postponed a Tuesday hearing on Texas A&M potentially leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The announcement came on Monday while the Texas A&M Board of Regents was meeting behind closed doors to discuss conference alignment.
The chairman of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, state Rep. Dan Branch, says "there is no immediate need to evaluate the merits of an athletic conference reconfiguration involving Texas A&M" and other Texas schools.
Day 13: Textbook Affordability Measures Kick In
August 15, 2011
Reeve Hamilton
Throughout the month of August, The Texas Tribune is featuring 31 ways Texans' lives will change come Sept. 1, the date most bills passed by the Legislature — including the dramatically reduced budget — take effect. Check out our story calendar here.
Day 13: A law authored by House Higher Education Chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, that aims to bring down the costs of textbooks at Texas colleges and universities takes effect.
In February, Texas State University freshman Caitlin Clark wrote a piece for The University Star about a bill authored by state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas. "If the Legislature is doing anything right this session, this is it," Clark wrote. "I hope they pass this bill for the sake of my (parents') wallet and the wallets of other Texas college students."
She got her wish. Sponsored in the upper chamber by Senate Higher Education Chairwoman Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, House Bill 33 passed, was signed by Gov. Rick Perry, and will technically take effect on Sept. 1.
It's no surprise that the bill might be a hit with the students. By codifying new federal rules, it puts into place a number of measures aimed at bringing down the cost of college textbooks.
Regents OK A&M to look at realignment
August 15, 2011
Associated Press
The Texas A&M Board of Regents has given President R. Bowen Loftin the authority to move the Aggies out of the Big 12.
The board took the action Monday, giving Loftin the OK to take any action he deems necessary when it comes to conference alignment. There has been speculation that the Aggies are looking to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The SEC on Sunday reaffirmed its 12-school alignment, but left the door open for expansion.
The vote came soon after the chairman of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, state Rep. Dan Branch, indefinitely postponed a legislative hearing on the subject.
August 15, 2011
USATODAY.com
The Texas state legislature has cancelled a meeting intending to address the possible move of Texas A&M from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference.
The hearing before the House’s Committee on Higher Education was set for Tuesday and was to discuss “matters pertaining to higher education, including collegiate athletics.”
On Sunday, the SEC announced it was delaying an immediate decision to invite Texas A&M to the league.
“While events may continue to evolve in the coming weeks, at this time, there is no immediate need to evaluate the merits of an athletic conference reconfiguration involving Texas A&M University and, potentially, other Texas public universities. If the current situation changes, our Committee is prepared to convene,” Rep. Dan Branch, the chairman of Committee on Higher Education, said in a statement.
Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe and SEC commissioner Mike Slive were two of four people being asked to attend Tuesday’s meeting. Also invited were Richard Box, chairman of the Texas A&M System Board of Regents and Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin.
Slive was not going to attend, according to SEC spokesman Charles Bloom.
Regents OK A&M to look at realignment
August 15, 2011
Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Texas A&M Board of Regents has given President R. Bowen Loftin the authority to move the Aggies out of the Big 12.
The board took the action Monday, giving Loftin the OK to take any action he deems necessary when it comes to conference alignment. There has been speculation that the Aggies are looking to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The SEC on Sunday reaffirmed its 12-school alignment, but left the door open for expansion.
The vote came soon after the chairman of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, state Rep. Dan Branch, indefinitely postponed a legislative hearing on the subject.
Texas House committee postpones Tues public hearing about A&M-SEC, citing "no immediate need" for meeting
August 15, 2011
Jimmy Burch
Blog
The Texas House Higher Education Committee has postponed Tuesday’s scheduled hearing about Texas A&M’s deliberations about joining the SEC. Chairman Dan Branch issued a statement saying “there is no immediate need to evaluated the merits of an athletic conference reconfiguration involving Texas A&M University and, potentially, other Texas public universities” in the wake of Sunday’s statement by SEC officials that it would take no action in regard to A&M.
A&M regents still in executive session in College Station.
Here is the full text of Branch’s statement:
August 15, 2011
Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel
The Texas House Committee on Higher Education has cancelled a hearing for Tuesday that was to discuss the future of Texas A&M and its possible move to the SEC.
The delay comes on the heels of the SEC’s statement on Sunday that it was pleased with its current 12-member configuration but left the door open for future discussions on expansion that could include the Aggies.
Rep. Dan Branch, who is the chairman of the committee, said the SEC’s decision put the current discussion on hold for the time being.
“While events may continue to evolve in the coming weeks, at this time, there is no immediate need to evaluate the merits of an athletic conference reconfiguration involving Texas A&M University and, potentially, other Texas public universities,” Branch said in a statement released Monday afternoon. “If the current situation changes, our committee is prepared to convene.”
Texas A&M’s board of regents were meeting Monday afternoon to discuss conference realignment despite the recent move by the SEC.
Texas House committee won't meet about A&M
August 15, 2011
Kristie Rieken
A Texas lawmaker has indefinitely postponed a Tuesday hearing on Texas A&M potentially leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The announcement came on Monday while the Texas A&M Board of Regents was meeting behind closed doors to discuss conference alignment.
The chairman of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, state Rep. Dan Branch, says "there is no immediate need to evaluate the merits of an athletic conference reconfiguration involving Texas A&M" and other Texas schools.
The move comes one day after the SEC reaffirmed its 12-school alignment amid reports that the Aggies were leaving.
