You may have seen in the news this week rumors of Texas A&M’s departure from the Big 12 Conference. Apparently, news on the topic has reached the halls of justice in Austin. Today the Texas House of Representatives’ Higher Education Committee scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to “discuss matters pertaining to higher education, including college athletics.”
For more than a year, Baylor officials have made the university’s position clear: the Big 12 (and particularly the historic in-state rivalries) must remain together. Some interesting notes on the Bears’ long history with the Aggies, Longhorns and Red Raiders:
- Baylor and Texas A&M first met on the gridiron in 1899. The Bears and Aggies will square off for the 108th time later this year, one of the 20 most-played rivalries in college football history.
- Baylor and Texas have squared off almost annually since 1901; this year’s meeting will be the 101st between the Bears and Longhorns.
- Baylor and Texas Tech have played each other regularly since 1929 (four years after the Red Raiders first fielded a football team) and have met annually since 1956.
As the state legislature takes up the issue of conference realignment once more, there is an opportunity for Baylor Nation again to voice its support for the Big 12. If your state representative is on the House Higher Education Committee (click the link for a list of members, and go here to find your representative), send him/her a note or give his/her office a call. Let them know — kindly and politely — that you appreciate their attention to this issue, and that you hope they will continue the important work of preserving the Big 12 and protecting the state’s historic rivalries.
For the latest news on the subject, stay tuned to the Baylor Nation site (www.baylor.edu/nation) and the Baylor Proud Twitter feed (@BaylorProud).
Sic ’em, Bears, and sic ’em, Big 12!
