A group of college presidents who are part of a movement to spark debate about the drinking age have contacted thousands of four-year universities nationwide, including the University of Texas at Austin.

The Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago, and college presidents from some of the nation's best-known universities are asking lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

The proposal has provoked sharp debate on both sides of the issue.

In Austin, UT representatives told KVUE News there are plans to discuss the issue in the vice council. St. Edward's University is also looking into the issue but could not confirm it had been contacted.

In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. It says if a state chooses to lower the drinking age to young than 21, it will lose 10 percent of its federal highway funds.

But now, with all the support from university presidents, it might spark a national debate about the drinking age. Already, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is firing back.

"All of the research related to this issue shows that increasing the drinking age to 21 has actually saved about 1,000 lives a year," said Jim Currier, MADD.

Only two universities in Texas have signed on with the initiative -- the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and West Texas A&M in Canyon.