Why the 2024 renewal of Texas-A&M rivalry after 13-year hiatus will hit differently

One of the most exciting elements of Texas joining the SEC conference in the 2024 season is the rebirth of the Longhorns’ storied rivalry with Texas A&M.

The two programs haven’t played since the Aggies left the Big 12 Conference in 2012, putting an end to the annual in-state rivalry. But now the two bitter rivals will meet once again in College Station to end the regular season, facing off on November 30 for the first time since 2011.

On Wednesday, Inside Texas‘ Joe Cook joined Andy Staples On3 to discuss the renewal of one of college football’s best rivalries and the overall gravity of their upcoming regular-season finale.

“I think people just forgot how much fun it really is, I mean that is a game that you think about the Egg Bowl in Mississippi and just how that whole state comes together for that game and you think of other in-state rivalries where similar happens. Texas hasn’t had that,” Cook explained. “And it’s not to diminish playing Texas Tech, playing Baylor, and playing TCU, of course Southwest Conference rivals. But they aren’t Texas A&M, that’s been Texas’ main in-state rival and they haven’t been able to play.”

The Lone Star Showdown dates back to 1894, with both teams squaring off 118 total times. But after not playing for nearly a decade, Cook believes the rivalry will quickly pick up where it left off the closer the highly anticipated reunion gets to kick off.

“And I think once the build up for that game starts once we get to Thanksgiving week and everybody starts to realize that cousin. Well, I’m gonna watch Texas versus Tech, oh I’m gonna watch LSU and A&M, and then they kind of have to go their separate ways and now they have to talk to each other about it. I think that’s when people are really gonna start realizing that it’s great that this rivalry is back,” Cook explained.

The last time the Longhorns and Aggies faced off it was an instant classic, with Texas kicker Justin Tucker drilling a 40-yard field goal as time expired to secure a 27-25 win over A&M.

“Texas of course when they played in 2011 there’s a famous clip. You can see Mike Sherman walking off the field and then you can see true freshman, who I think didn’t play, Johnny Manziel wearing I think number 15 kind of running off the sideline after Justin Tucker hits that kick,” Cook said. “So they never played Johnny Manziel, they haven’t been in the newly renovated Kyle Field.”

A lot has changed since Texas and Texas A&M last faced off, with the Longhorns fresh off of a conference championship win and College Football Playoff appearance and the Aggies recently hiring Mike Elko as their new head coach following a six-year tenure with Jimbo Fisher. But both programs will surely make up for the lost time in one of the most highly anticipated matchups in the SEC this upcoming season.

“They’ve done some one-offs in baseball, basketball, a bunch of different sports, but they’ve never done football and I think that if Arkansas was viscous that A&M crowd on November 30th with 100,000 plus that place is gonna be rocking and rolling in a way that I’m not sure Kyle Field has seen maybe since those Johnny Manziel days,” Cook concluded.