To the editor:

Recent news stories about the fate of the Big 12 athletic conference have been hot topics lately. For a while, it would seem that the conference was in serious trouble of failing. Action by the University of Texas has apparently prevented this from happening. While some may be dismayed by this, I applaud the efforts of the University of Texas.

As a long-time fan of the University of Oklahoma teams, I can attest to the long-time rivalry between these two schools. But I have always had a great respect for one of the traditions of UT Austin. At the end of a game, the Texas supporters stand and sing a little song. It goes like this:

“The Eyes of Texas are upon you,

All the live long day,

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,

You cannot get away,

Don’t you think you can escape them,

From night to early in the morn,

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,

Till Gabriel blows his horn.”

This is done whether the team wins or loses. It is an affirmation that “We support you. We will cheer for you, and we expect you to do your best and behave appropriately regardless of the outcome.”

I have always respected the Texas fans and supporters for this attitude, and was glad to see that doing the right thing with this conference problem was ahead of any imagined gain by splitting up the Big 12 and moving a lot of the sports venues to the West Coast.