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Future of College Sports in Texas committee forms after UT leaves the Big 12

Experts predict that with Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12, nearly 13,000 jobs will be lost, along with nearly a billion dollars in revenue.

TEXAS, USA — On Friday, the board of regents from the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma accepted the invitation to join the Southeastern Conference.

The move prompted our Lieutenant Governor to form a special bi-partisan legislative committee to look at the future of college sports in Texas.

State Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa is one of three Democratic lawmakers who are part of an 11 member senate committee called the Future of College Sports in Texas.

The committee is set to have its first meeting on Monday and has already invited witnesses to testify. The panel was put together after the University of Texas decided to leave the Big 12 for the SEC.

Hinojosa said that the members of the committee will be looking at a number of issues surrounding the Longhorns move.

"We need to make sure that we have an understanding of what will be the results of the University of Texas leaving the Big 12 and joining the SEC," Hinojosa said. "What will happen to the other football programs in Texas and what type of finances, financial impact it will have on the other colleges and universities."

Ray Perryman is President and CEO of an economic research and analysis firm based in Waco called the Perryman Group. He predicts that with Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12, nearly 13,000 jobs will be lost, along with nearly a billion dollars in revenue.

It's money and jobs that are sure to have a big impact on the remaining Big 12 schools in our state which are Baylor, Texas Christian University and Texas Tech. 

If the Big 12 completely falls apart because of Texas and Oklahoma leaving, then the financial impact could hit $1.3 billion and some 18,000 people could lose their jobs.

"If you lose those two teams, you've basically lost two of the top 10 earning athletic programs in the country and nobody else in the Big 12 is in the top 25," Perryman said. 

Senator Hinojosa's committee starts its work on Monday at 1 p.m.

It will be broadcasted online on the Senate Live Video Broadcasts page. Hinojosa said the panel is not part of the special session and can continue to meet and hold hearings for as long as it needs.

For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.

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