A bill that would require the Oregon legislature to approve any public university athletic conference changes is scheduled for a potential committee vote Thursday.
House Bill 3427 has just one sponsor: Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth.
He told the House Higher Education committee he believes athletics should be treated the same way as academics.
“The legislature that pays the bills shouldn’t be the one that is the afterthought," he said. "Because it isn’t just about affecting the athletes, it isn’t just about affecting the fan base, it isn’t just about affecting boosters, it isn’t even just about affecting a sports business. Our universities are our public universities, owned by all Oregonians, all four million plus.”
Evans said all students, and by extension all Oregonians, are impacted by a school’s athletic department choices.
UCLA and USC announced last summer they intend to leave the Pac-12 and will join the Big Ten conference in 2024.
According to the Oregonian, U of O’s athletic director Rob Mullens and the Pac-12 have declined to comment on the bill.
