Texas and Texas A&M's football rivalry is back. Are the 2024 teams ready? (2024)

DALLAS — Texas A&M offensive tackle Trey Zuhn III doesn’t remember watching the Aggies play Texas as a kid, but growing up in an A&M family, he knows how he’s supposed to feel about it.

His parents were Aggies. So was his grandmother. His grandfather was a professor at the school. “They live and breathe A&M,” he said.

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Over the years, when he went shopping with family members and came across Longhorns gear, “we’d turn it upside down.” To commemorate the return of rivalry game with Texas this year, Zuhn said he purchased a small picture of a Longhorn and hung it on his wall, near his bed, upside down.

“Don’t let a referee in there,” Zuhn joked.

On Nov. 30, after a 13-year hiatus, Texas and Texas A&M will meet on the football field again. The rivalry’s long-overdue renewal will be one of the most anticipated games of the season.

Fans and alumni on both sides, especially those who remember their last meeting in 2011 when Texas kicker Justin Tucker silenced Kyle Field with a 40-yard field goal that gave the Longhorns a 27-25 win, are well aware of the magnitude and intensity of the rivalry. But what about the players?

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Many of the Longhorns and Aggies who will take the field on Thanksgiving weekend were younger than 10 when the teams last played. Players on each team who attended SEC media days last week offered a range of perspectives on what the game means to them.

Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks, who is from the Houston area, said he grew up a Longhorns fan but was too young to have consumed the rivalry game properly.

“I only remember the game when Justin Tucker kicked the field goal,” Banks said. “I’ve just seen (highlight) clips.”

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was 8 when the teams last played. But he said his father told him stories.

“My dad actually said he believed growing up that the Texas A&M game was bigger than the Red (River) Rivalry game,” said Ewers, who grew up in Southlake, Texas. “I’m excited to have that game back and it’s going to be cool, especially going to Kyle Field Thanksgiving weekend. That place is going to be rockin’. We’re all fired up for it.”

Asked if he sensed the game mattered to his players considering they hadn’t played in it, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian chuckled and answered with a resounding “Yes.”

“There’s so many connections even in our locker room,” Sarkisian said. “There’s so many guys (at A&M) that players on our team played with, played against, youth football, high school football, went through the recruiting process with. And they both took visits to Texas and A&M, and one went to A&M and one came to Texas.

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“I don’t think you have to be a big rah-rah speech in the locker room that day.”

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, who spent four seasons in College Station under Jimbo Fisher as defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, understands the importance of the rivalry despite having never participated in it.

“Even though we never played and we weren’t in the same conference, it still was the single most important thing, sometimes it felt like, to Texas A&M,” Elko said. “Obviously, that’s something we take very seriously.”

A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner, a product of DeSoto, Texas, near Dallas, said he didn’t pay much attention to the rivalry when he was younger and was largely unaware of it until the Aggies began recruiting him.

With the game more than four months away, Turner said it’s not a concern right now: “We’re gonna take it a day at a time, we’re putting our head down and we’re working, trying to get better.”

Texas A&M sophomore linebacker Taurean York is from Temple, Texas, which is a little more than an hour away from both College Station and Austin. He said doesn’t remember too much of the rivalry game because he was too young. But he does have feelings about it now.

“Texas didn’t recruit me, so it’s personal,” York said.

That’s part of the charm of the game: There are plenty of recruiting tales on each side. As former Texas coach Mack Brown told The Athletic in 2021, “It was a game that showcased Texas high school football across the nation.”

The proximity and relationships that extend across locker rooms breed a familiarity that, in all likelihood, will raise the temperature on the game as it draws closer. If the teams are playing for major stakes, like a spot in the College Football Playoff, that will make it even more substantial.

“It’s great for the state, it’s great for college football that the rivalry is coming back,” Elko said. “When you have two brands that are that close to each other, they should play. They should play meaningful games … and with our tradition, they should play on Thanksgiving weekend.”

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“It’s a great game,” Sarkisian said. “Our players are probably way more excited for this game than most fans would probably think.”

Zuhn is working to ensure his teammates know how important it is, too.

“A lot of players in the locker room didn’t know the full extent (of the rivalry),” he said. “But myself and the fans have kind of been getting everyone on the same page that ‘Hey, this is a big deal. We’re bringing this back.’”

(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

Texas and Texas A&M's football rivalry is back. Are the 2024 teams ready? (3)Texas and Texas A&M's football rivalry is back. Are the 2024 teams ready? (4)

Sam Khan Jr. is a senior writer for The Athletic covering college football and recruiting primarily in Texas. Previously, he spent eight years covering college sports at ESPN.com and seven years as a sports reporter at the Houston Chronicle. A native Houstonian, Sam graduated from the University of Houston. Follow Sam on Twitter @skhanjr

Texas and Texas A&M's football rivalry is back. Are the 2024 teams ready? (2024)

FAQs

What is the Texas and Texas A&M rivalry called? ›

University of Texas, Texas A&M announce title sponsor for 'Lone Star Showdown' rivalry game. After a 12-year absence, the Aggies and Longhorns are renewing their rivalry.

What is the biggest rivalry of Texas College football? ›

Red River Rivalry
Oklahoma Sooners Texas Longhorns
SportFootball
First meetingOctober 10, 1900 Texas 28, Oklahoma 2
Latest meetingOctober 7, 2023 Oklahoma 34, Texas 30
Statistics
9 more rows

Does Texas A&M have a good football team? ›

The Aggies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Texas A&M football claims three national titles and 18 conference titles.

When was the last time Texas and Texas A&M played each other in football? ›

November 24, 2011

Who is better, Longhorns or Aggies? ›

The Lonestar Showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies has long been known as one of the best rivalries in college sports. That has obviously been particularly true on the football field, where the two programs have traded blows 118 times over 130 years, with the Horns holding a 76–37–5 edge.

What was the old name for Texas A&M? ›

College Renamed Texas A&M University

In 1963, the Texas Legislature changed the school's name from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas to Texas A&M University. The "A" and "M" became a symbolic link to the school's past but no longer officially stood for "Agricultural and Mechanical."

What is the favorite college football team in Texas? ›

Texas college football rankings: Embrace the Longhorns as No. 1
  • Texas (11-1) | Last week: 1. ...
  • SMU (10-2) | Last week: 2. ...
  • UTSA (8-4) | Last week: 3. ...
  • Texas A&M (7-5) | Last week: 4. ...
  • Rice (6-6) | Last week: 7. ...
  • Texas State (7-5) | Last week: 8. ...
  • Texas Tech (6-6) | Last week: 5. ...
  • TCU (5-7) | Last week: 6.
Nov 26, 2023

Who is Texans biggest rival? ›

The Texans–Titans rivalry is an intense rivalry, pitting the Tennessee Titans (formerly based in as the Houston Oilers) with Houston's present-day team, the Texans. The 2002 expansion and conference realignment by the NFL put a new team into Houston.

What is the strongest college football rivalry? ›

25 Biggest College Football Rivalries – 2024
  • 1) Michigan-Ohio State. ...
  • 2) Alabama-Auburn. ...
  • 3) Army-Navy. ...
  • 4) Oklahoma-Texas. ...
  • 5) USC-Notre Dame. ...
  • 6) Florida-Georgia. ...
  • 7) USC-UCLA. ...
  • 8) Florida State – Miami.
Feb 5, 2024

Is Texas or A&M better? ›

Here are some factors to consider: Academics: Both Texas A&M and UT Austin provide a quality education, but they have different strengths. UT Austin is especially renowned for its top-rated programs in business, communications, and engineering. Texas A&M has strong programs in engineering, agriculture, and education.

Why is Texas A&M so popular? ›

Texas A&M has earned reputation for excellence through high-quality academic programs, expert faculty, commitment to research and alumni outcomes.

Is A&M or UT better at football? ›

Texas currently leads the all-time matchup with a 76-37-5 record and won the most recent contest in 2011 with a last-second field goal by Justin Tucker. Thankfully, the wait for the rivalry is finally over, and there's no doubt that November 30 was the date that A&M and UT fans alike circled on their calendars first.

Is Texas or Texas A&M older? ›

Based in College Station, Texas A&M is the oldest public college in Texas. Founded in 1876 as an agricultural and mechanical school, Texas A&M has grown into a major research university that serves more than 72,000 students annually.

What is Texas vs Texas A&M called? ›

The Lone Star Showdown is the traditional rivalry for all varsity men's and women's athletics competitions between the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. The name comes from Lone Star State, which is the nickname of the state of Texas.

Has Texas A&M ever won a football championship? ›

The Texas A&M Aggies have won three national championships in their career so far - 1919, 1927 and 1939. 1919 was the first time the Texas A&M Aggies won the national championship. As part of the Southwest Conference, they won the Conference with a record of 10-0 under the coaching of Dana.

Texas–Texas A&M football rivalry - WikipediaWikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org ›

The Texas–Texas A&M football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry was playe...
According to 247Sports, the rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies is still one of the most heated in college football.
Texas and Texas A&M have met on the gridiron 117 times for one of the longest running rivalries in college football. The first game was a one-sided contest ...

What is the nickname of the Texas A&M team? ›

An Aggie is a student at Texas A&M. In the early 1900s, our students were called "Farmers." The term Aggie — reflecting our agricultural roots — was first used in the 1920s, and in 1949, the yearbook changed its name from The Longhorn to Aggieland. At that point, Aggie became the official student body nickname.

Are Texas A&M and Texas Tech rivals? ›

FORT WORTH – The Texas A&M men's basketball team renews its rivalry with former conference foe Texas Tech as the second game of the 2024 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge double-header on Sunday, Dec. 8 at Dickies Arena.

Are Texas A&M and LSU rivals? ›

The LSU–Texas A&M football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the LSU Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies.

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