The Texas-Texas A&M Rivalry: 13 Years of Pettiness, Politics, and Passion
On Thanksgiving in 2011, college football fans thought they were witnessing the end of an era. The Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies, two bitter rivals who had clashed on the gridiron since 1894, faced off for what seemed to be the final time. The game ended in dramatic fashion, with Texas senior and future NFL star Justin Tucker nailing a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Longhorns a 27-25 victory.
“It was special,” Tucker said after the game. “This is what we play for in college football. … And being able to put a smile on every Longhorns [fan’s] face tonight was special to me.”
But that game wasn’t just the end of a season; it was the end of an era. Conference realignment was tearing apart the rivalry, with Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. It would take over a decade—and another seismic shift in conference alignments—for the two teams to meet again on the football field. Yet, while the games stopped, the animosity never did.
2012: The Breakup Begins
The SEC’s addition of Texas A&M and Missouri marked a major expansion outside its traditional footprint. But then-Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds wasn’t impressed, famously quipping, “They have a sliver down the East side” of Texas.
Meanwhile, Texas replaced A&M with TCU as its Thanksgiving Day opponent, while the Aggies began facing Missouri during the holiday weekend. Texas defensive end Alex Okafor couldn’t resist taking a jab, saying, “I feel sorry for A&M. We still have a big-time game on Thanksgiving. They’re missing out.”
But the Aggies, riding the wave of Johnny Manziel’s Heisman-winning season and an upset of No. 1 Alabama, didn’t seem too concerned.
2013: Lawmakers Get Involved
In 2013, the Texas state government tried to force the rivalry back onto the schedule. State representative Ryan Guillen, an A&M graduate, filed HB 778, which proposed penalties for whichever school refused to participate. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but it set the tone for years of political meddling.
Meanwhile, the verbal jabs continued. Dodds declared, “They’re the ones that decided not to play us. We get to decide when we play again.” A&M chancellor R. Bowen Loftin countered, saying, “[The rivalry is] not relevant to us anymore.”
On the field, Texas struggled, suffering a humiliating 40-21 loss to BYU. Aggies defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. tweeted, “Texas A&M is the university of Texas,” prompting then-Texas coach Mack Brown to fire back, “We are the university of Texas in this state and will be, regardless of what some [Texas A&M] kid tweets.”
2014-2015: New Faces, Same Drama
By 2014, both programs were undergoing leadership changes. Texas hired Charlie Strong as head coach, while A&M brought in Kevin Sumlin. Both coaches expressed interest in renewing the rivalry, but the decision wasn’t theirs to make. Texas athletic director Steve Patterson dismissed the idea, saying, “It’s not at the top of my list.”
In 2015, Strong admitted, “Let me win some games first. Then I can push it. I don’t know if I want to go walking into College Station right now.” The Aggies pounced on the comment, with five-star recruit Daylon Mack tweeting a photo mocking Strong.
2017-2018: Missed Opportunities
By 2017, the rivalry had been dormant for over five years. Former A&M athletic director Bill Byrne claimed Texas had actively worked to prevent the Aggies from scheduling Big 12 opponents. “We don’t need them anymore,” Byrne said.
In 2018, Texas reportedly proposed a home-and-home series for 2022 and 2023, but A&M declined, citing scheduling conflicts. “We’re booked 10 years out,” said A&M athletic director Scott Woodward.
2021: The SEC Shake-Up
In July 2021, reports surfaced that Texas and Oklahoma were in talks to join the SEC. A&M athletic director Ross Bjork wasn’t thrilled, saying, “We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas.” Former A&M chancellor Loftin added, “The fit, culturally, of A&M and the SEC is very good. The fit of Texas is not.”
2024: The Rivalry Returns
After 13 years of political maneuvering, social media spats, and missed opportunities, the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry is finally back. Both programs have undergone significant changes, with new coaches Steve Sarkisian and Mike Elko now at the helm. Elko summed it up best: “When you have two programs like that in the same state two hours away, they should play every year, and it should mean a lot.”
And if the past 13 years are any indication, Saturday’s game will mean more than just a win or loss—it will be a battle for bragging rights in the Lone Star State.
Originally Written by: Dave Wilson
