Two of Gov. Greg Abbott's three nominees to join the University of Texas System board of regents on Thursday criticized the system's move to buy considerable land in Houston for expansion during their confirmation hearing before a state Senate panel.

Their stances were striking because on Monday the governor had appointed them to replace three regents who often bucked UT leadership. Sources expected the appointees to be on the same page with UT system Chancellor William McRaven and the full board. One of the appointees who spoke against the university's intention to expand its Houston footprint was part of a UT advisory group charged with recommending to McRaven what to build on the land, making her remarks before the Senate nominations committee perplexing and unexpected.

In November 2015, UT regents overwhelmingly approved the $215 million acquisition of 332 acres in southwest Houston, immediately drawing protest from the University of Houston's regents, who called it an obstacle to UH's growth. More than a year after that vote, UT officials still have not defined their vision for the land beyond saying that it will not be used to build a four-year university to compete with UH. McRaven had said the intention is to develop an "intellectual hub" in Houston, leaving the details to be determined.

In February, McRaven asked a task force of Houston business and local leaders to determine by the end of 2016 how the system should use the land. That report is still in draft form, spokeswoman Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said Thursday, adding that it is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

The UT board of regents will ultimately need to approve McRaven's recommendations for use of the Houston land, and he said Thursday during a separate Senate finance committee hearing that he will wait until new regents join the board before bringing recommendations before the group. The Senate nominations panel will vote on the governor's three regent nominations on Feb. 2.

Meanwhile, one of the nominees critical of the Houston project - Janiece Longoria, chair of the Port of Houston Authority and formerly a member of UT's advisory group for how to use the land - said she did not think UT's expansion in Houston "could ever be successful" without local lawmakers' support.

Longoria also said she's not in favor of using the Permanent University Fund - a massive source of funding from oil and gas holdings for UT and the Texas A&M University System that cannot be used by the UH system - for the Houston project. The UT spokeswoman said Longoria was part of the advisory group from March 2016 until leaving earlier this month due to "conflicting commitments."

Another of Abbott's regent nominees, former state Sen. Kevin Eltife, told the Senate nominations panel Thursday he wanted the Houston project "stopped."

"I want someone to explain to me how we spent $200 million on a piece of dirt and we don't know the use of it," he said.

The third regent nominee, businessman Rad Weaver, said he needs to learn more about the project before expressing an opinion.

Their statements kicked off a tough day at the state capitol for UT's efforts to expand in Houston, and left McRaven to answer to skeptical Houston lawmakers on the Senate finance panel.

McRaven said it would have been "irresponsible" not to buy land in Houston, citing the city's nationally renowned medical center, space research and energy sector. He did not, however, offer new information on UT's plans for the land.

"I work for the board of regents," he said. "If, at the end of the day, I am not able to demonstrate that moving forward with this project is of value to UT and to the state, I will follow the direction of the board of regents."

Sen. John Whitmire said McRaven should have consulted lawmakers first, calling his actions an "abuse of power."

"I don't think you give a damn what the legislature thinks," the senator said to McRaven, a retired Navy admiral with a 37-year military career.

McRaven said he respected the Texas legislature, citing his military experience, and said his goal was to innovate higher education in the state.

"This really was about trying to do what I thought was the right thing," the UT chancellor said. "This could very well be a risk and a gamble."

The leaders of McRaven's Houston advisory group anticipated in December that they would deliver recommendations to him in one to two months. The task force's chief said at the time "the project is too big and too important to rush" and said that McRaven was "completely satisfied" with the group's progress.