Rivalry in Everything: Texas wants the Lone Star Showdown back on Thanksgiving night. Texas A&M doesn’t.
DESTIN, Fla. — The Texas versus Texas A&M rivalry is back, and there’s already a disagreement on the finer details of its return.
The Longhorn and Aggies will battle on the football field for the first time since 2011 when Texas travels to Kyle Field to take on Texas A&M on Saturday, November 30. While UT athletics director Chris Del Conte didn’t have much of a say in the day of the week this year’s edition of the rivalry will take place, he took the chance at SEC Spring Meetings to make his thoughts on what day future battles should be on.
“I prefer the traditional time for that game,” Del Conte said May 30, specifically referencing Thanksgiving Day when he said traditional time. “But whenever we tee it up, we tee it up. Excited to be going back and playing that game. I’d prefer Thursday or Friday, but it is what it is.”
That opinion is in stark contrast to his maroon counterpart. Texas A&M athletics director Trev Alberts told TexAgs columnist Olin Buchanan that the Aggies’ preference is that the game not take place on Thanksgiving.
That means there’s some middle ground, as Del Conte was open to a Black Friday matchup but only as a second option behind Thanksgiving. Alberts’ preference leaves room for a Black Friday battle, but places Turkey Day outside of his preferred outcomes.
But middle ground has not been found in this rivalry in recent years. Texas and Texas A&M failed to schedule a matchup ever since Justin Tucker‘s kick sailed through the uprights in 2011. Only the Longhorns joining the SEC, to the Aggies’ public and private chagrin, has brought the two rivals together.
Since the rivalry went on a hiatus beginning with the 2012 season, Texas played on Thanksgiving from 2012 to 2015. From 2016 on, the Longhorns have played on Black Friday, with a trip to Kansas in 2018 functioning as the only road game in that span. They have not played on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, which will change this year.
In contrast, the Aggies have played on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend in all but two of their seasons as members of the SEC. Home games in 2014 and 2016 against LSU were on Thursday. All others were on Saturday.
Either middle ground is found, or someone is not getting what they prefer.
A return to a Thanksgiving battle would place the Longhorns and Aggies at odds with the NFL. The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys are playing in their traditional timeslots this year, and those games wouldn’t put the Lone Star Showdown at odds with the Shield. The night game between the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers would.
In addition, the NFL is creeping into Black Friday. Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are scheduled to host the Las Vegas Raiders at 2 p.m. on Amazon Prime on Black Friday.
Del Conte seemed unfazed by that reality, still clamoring for the Thanksgiving day game. But another traditional Thanksgiving rivalry that has been regularly played on Thursday night is ceding some ground to the NFL this year and moving to Black Friday.
The battle between Mississippi State and Ole Miss will go head-to-head with the NFL this year on November 29, though the Egg Bowl will be on broadcast television while the NFL game is scheduled to be on Amazon Prime. The Rebels and Bulldogs will battle at 2:30 p.m. this year, a change from the entertaining Thanksgiving night matchup it’s been in recent years. The Packers and Dolphins kick at 2 p.m.
Zac Selmon, athletics director for Mississippi State, is looking forward to the Magnolia State rivalry being showcased on national television even though it’s battling a NFL game for viewers.
“For our rivalry, the Egg Bowl needs to be a national showcase,” Selmon said Thursday. “It means so much for our fanbases and the state of Mississippi and surrounding (areas). We’re really excited to have that national spotlight on the state of Mississippi and at Mississippi State we’re excited to go up there this year and play.”
Alberts’ preference does facilitate a chance for more eyes placed on the rivalry, especially if it is on Saturday. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 makes it difficult for the NFL to air a game on Friday or Saturday on broadcast television during the college football regular season. It does not place restrictions on Thursday games nor on streaming services like Amazon Prime. And as most recent press releases indicate, going up against the NFL in any timeslot is a losing battle.
Texas doesn’t seem to care, preferring longstanding Thanksgiving tradition over possible lucrative eyeballs. That could be in contrast to the preferences of the SEC and is in real contrast to what Texas A&M has publicly stated.
While it’s known Texas and Texas A&M will play in Austin in 2025, there’s no guarantee at this juncture the game will continue in 2026 and beyond. Differing opinions over eight- or nine-game conference schedules exist, and until that consistent question is answered, the status of the rivalry is also up in the air after next season.
In 2024 at least, the 119th matchup between Texas and Texas A&M will take place on Saturday. Texas wants it back on Thursday. The Aggies want no part of that.
There continues to be disagreement about what day it should even be on, a continuing theme in the in-state feud that’s been on a 13-year hiatus.
The post Rivalry in Everything: Texas wants the Lone Star Showdown back on Thanksgiving night. Texas A&M doesn’t. appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings