OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Virtually three dozen Oklahoma Home representatives despatched a letter to the College of Oklahoma Thursday that voiced disappointment with the way in which they went about moving into the Southeastern Convention.
It’s a transfer drawing each criticism and reward by way of a controversial course of that has gripped soccer followers for the previous week. Now, OU and the College of Texas are one step nearer to leaving the Massive XII behind with the SEC formally extending an invite to the 2 powerhouses Thursday afternoon to hitch the league.
The gridiron battle has now made its approach to the Oklahoma State Capitol, with 34 lawmakers expressing their disappointment in a letter to OU.
The creator of the letter, Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, mentioned it’s not the transfer itself that introduced he and others to signal and ship the letter. As a substitute, he mentioned it was the way in which all of it went down. He mentioned the legislature desires to verify each colleges, the College of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State College, are “ready of success.”
“For individuals who possibly will not be as in tune to sports activities or do not care as a lot about sports activities, possibly this may increasingly not appear to be an enormous deal, however it actually is,” Hilbert mentioned.
The total letter may be learn under.
Within the letter, Hilbert and those that signed it claimed the state legislators’ precedence is for “…state entities of upper schooling to work collectively – not only for what’s finest for one establishment however looking for what’s finest for the state as a complete.”
“It might have been higher for there to be a collaborative effort,” Hilbert mentioned.
The letter states that OU labored with Texas as an alternative of OSU. The lawmakers mentioned the college disregarded our state’s “collaborative spirit” and confirmed an absence of transparency. The letter provides that after the joint press launch with Texas notifying their plans to go away, OU selected to “…advance the pursuits of the College of Texas as a associate as an alternative of working collaboratively together with your in-state associate at Oklahoma State College.”
“OU and OSU are each a part of the state of Oklahoma and as such must be working to advertise one another’s curiosity, which is similar curiosity for the state of Oklahoma,” Hilbert mentioned.
The letter additionally asks for OU to maintain “…legislators and the general public knowledgeable” whereas including that the legislature desires to see “…collaboration and parity for our state’s two complete establishments.”
“I wish to do what I can to assist be sure that not solely OSU however OU as properly are each ready for fulfillment,” Hilbert mentioned.
Hilbert went on to say he feels each colleges are in a very good place to succeed. Nevertheless, he mentioned he has heard of some legislators who wish to cross payments subsequent session to dam the transfer to the SEC, although he mentioned he isn’t one in all them.
KFOR reached out to OU, however they didn’t reply to a request for remark. The college’s Board of Regents are set to fulfill Friday morning to just accept the SEC’s invitation to the convention.
