Texas A&M Drops Bid To Host Presidential Debate

When Texas A&M University applied this spring to host a 2016 presidential debate, school leaders saw it as an opportunity to increase publicity for their school and expose students to a vital part of the political process.

But during the site review process, officials began to see the situation differently. Hosting the debate would likely cost A&M between $3 and $4 million — and possibly as much as $6 million. And no matter the site, the candidates on stage would likely speak critically about the rising cost of a college education.

“We had to ask ourselves, ‘Is that the best way to spend that money?’ ” said school spokesman Shane Hinckley.

This week, the school decided the answer was no. On Monday, university President Michael K. Young wrote a letter to the committee in charge of picking a location and withdrew A&M’s candidacy.

Read more: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/08/20/m-drops-bid-host-presidential-debate/