Tag Archives: Oklahoma

USC and UCLA to join Big Ten

Wow. USC and UCLA have been accepted as the newest members of the Big Ten conference with league officials approving their membership Thursday night. The programs have announced their respective departures from the Pac-12 beginning in 2024 with the pair … Continue reading

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UH will officially join the Big XII in 2023

No use waiting around. The University of Houston will start play in the Big 12 in 2023 after the school came to an agreement on exit fees with the American Athletic Conference. The Cougars will pay the AAC $18 million … Continue reading

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Get ready to start raking in the cash, UH

Money, money, money. As the athletic director at Texas, Chris Del Conte is the CEO of one of the richest college athletic departments in the nation. He also knows what it’s like to have to make every penny count. At … Continue reading

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The national media discovers Skeet Jones

Here’s NBC News with a nice, juicy story. Lawmen came to remote Loving County, Texas, on Friday to arrest the county judge, a former sheriff’s deputy and two ranch hands on one of Texas’ oldest crimes — cattle theft. Judge … Continue reading

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The coming fight over medical abortion

Sure is a good thing SCOTUS will leave this up to the states, isn’t it? Republican-led states are moving swiftly to restrict access to medication abortion. The efforts so far have focused on regulations around the pills, such as banning … Continue reading

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The cattle-rustling County Judge

“Bonkers” is the first word that came to mind as I read this Twitter thread and the linked story at the end of it: . #BREAKING: Loving County Judge Skeet Jones was arrested earlier today by the Texas and Southwestern … Continue reading

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No collegiate gymnastics in Texas

I did not know this. Ragan Smith did not lack options when it came to choosing a college, as tends to happen when you’re an elite gymnast with a national title on your resume. One option was unavailable to Smith. … Continue reading

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Big XII may get temporarily bigger

The dominoes fall when they fall. Next week, the Big 12 plans to discuss the future of the conference regarding its expansion, per Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger. Houston, Cincinnati and UCF are expected to join the Big 12 in the 2023–24 academic … Continue reading

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More on Lizelle Herrera

Listen to the advocates. They’re seeing this clearly. A 26-year-old woman was arrested and jailed in South Texas last week over a self-induced abortion just months after the state banned most abortions and weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court could … Continue reading

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Oklahoma preps to ban abortion

This was just a matter of time. Oklahoma’s state House on Tuesday voted 78-19 to pass a near complete ban on abortions, legislation that far surpasses Texas’ six-week ban. The bill is now headed to the Senate and, if passed, … Continue reading

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And more people are travelling for abortions

The number of abortions performed in Texas has declined greatly since the passage of SB8. But the number of Texans seeking abortions has remained the same, which is what abortion advocates have always said would be the case. The number … Continue reading

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Oklahoma’s experience with medical marijuana

A good read. Inside an old metal building off a quiet stretch of U.S. 77, Josh Blevins walked among rows of fragrant marijuana plants basking below carefully calibrated light. Blevins, a former construction engineer from Texas, bought this former scrap … Continue reading

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American Athletic Conference to expand

Time for some more dominoes to fall. The American Athletic Conference is set to consider expansion this week after six Conference USA programs applied for membership on Wednesday. If all six teams are added to the AAC, it would expand … Continue reading

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For now, some Texas women can travel to other states for abortions

For now. The new Texas abortion ban has spurred a flood of women traveling sometimes hundreds of miles to access the procedure in neighboring states. The law, which prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and calls for lets private citizens … Continue reading

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Feds officially investigating Texas mask mandate ban

Good. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in schools, making Texas the sixth state to face a federal inquiry over mask rules. The investigation will focus … Continue reading

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UH officially joins the Big XII

Long time coming. Hello, Big 12. In a historic day, the University of Houston has accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference. The Big 12’s presidents voted unanimously Friday to formally invite Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and Central Florida … Continue reading

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The Big XII is finally ready for UH

Hope it was worth the wait. Five years after a potential match fizzled, the University of Houston and Big 12 Conference are on the verge of uniting after all. UH has emerged as a leading contender to join a reconfigured … Continue reading

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Feds take first steps in the mask mandate fight

Coming attractions. The U.S. Department of Education is opening civil rights investigations to determine whether five states that have banned schools from requiring masks are discriminating against students with disabilities, the agency said on Monday. The department is targeting Iowa, … Continue reading

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The PAC-20?

Here’s one possible outcome for the left behind members of the Big XII. According to multiple reports, the commissioners of the Pac-12 and Big 12 met Tuesday to discuss how the conferences might benefit from working together or maybe even … Continue reading

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Big XII visits the Lege

It’s something to do, anyway. As the University of Texas prepares for a jump from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference, state lawmakers are working to determine how the move will affect the rest of the state — and … Continue reading

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Big XII accuses ESPN of sabotage

Interesting! In the long, sordid and divisive history of conference realignment, there has always been feverish levels of mistrust, backroom allegations and message board conspiracies when schools switch leagues. But in the decades of cloak-and-dagger maneuverings, political gamesmanship and rival … Continue reading

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SEC accepts UT and OU

Time to start printing the money. The Southeastern Conference voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to invite the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma to join their 14-member league during a meeting with the league member’s presidents and … Continue reading

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UT and OU make it officially official

Smell ya later, Big XII. After a week of speculation, the University of Texas at Austin announced Tuesday that alongside the University of Oklahoma it has asked to join the Southeastern Conference starting July 1, 2025. The news came a … Continue reading

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UT and OU make their official move to exit the Big XII

It’s just a matter of time now. And money. Always money. The University of Texas at Austin announced Monday morning that it will not renew its sports media rights contract with the Big 12 that is set to end in … Continue reading

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The A&M and AAC responses to UT and OU and the SEC

Moving from denial to bluster. Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork has a message for any newcomers to the Southeastern Conference: “We’re ready.” Texas and Oklahoma are preparing to exit the Big 12 and join the SEC, just as A&M … Continue reading

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One more with UT, OU, and the SEC

It’s happening. I know, it’s early, and there’s resistance, and stuff can happen, but come on. It’s happening. Texas and Oklahoma are prepared to inform the Big 12 they will not renew their media rights agreement with the league when … Continue reading

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Some legislators want to keep UT out of the SEC

This is kind of hilarious. As the college athletics world roils over the possibility of the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 conference, a group of Texas legislators with ties to other universities in … Continue reading

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Are the college conference dominoes set up for a tumble again?

This would be a big deal. A decade after major conference realignment shook up college football, big changes might again be on the horizon. Texas and Oklahoma of the Big 12 have reached out to the Southeastern Conference about joining … Continue reading

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Where the outbreaks are the worst

We talk a lot about the vaccination rate in Texas, but that number by itself is misleading. Some parts of the state are very well vaccinated. Others, very much not so. That matters, because the Delta variant is just ripping … Continue reading

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Here comes the casino push

Expect this to get louder and louder, though whether it’s successful or not remains to be seen. When a big political player comes waltzing into Texas spending big money from out of state, it’s usually a good sign that he … Continue reading

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On prosecuting the insurrectionists

This is a good start. While federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital will likely tackle the bulk of criminal charges for the perpetrators of Wednesday’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Ryan K. Patrick is among a growing number of U.S. … Continue reading

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We don’t need a vote to expand Medicaid

There’s a fundamental truth that needs to be addressed in this. On Tuesday, Missouri became the 38th state to expand Medicaid, opening healthcare to over 230,000 Missourians. It joins a lengthy list of GOP-led states in expanding healthcare, including Nebraska, … Continue reading

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Coronavirus and Professional Bull Riding

Here’s how Professional Bull Riding managed to keep doing what it does during the pandemic. The PBR went on hiatus March 15 at the conclusion of an Unleash The Beast event in Duluth, Ga., that was closed to the public. … Continue reading

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Making a better severe storm warning

Of interest. We’ve all heard them – the blaring alerts that activate our cellphones or television when a severe weather warning is issued. Perhaps our favorite weather app sent us a push notification, or we saw a television meteorologist pointing … Continue reading

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