Chris Del Conte: Restoring Texas A&M rivalry is 'the most important thing we can do'

For the first time in 13 years, Texas and Texas A&M will play each other in a football game. The rivalry game will make its return Nov. 30 as the Longhorns join the Aggies in the SEC – and it’s a move Chris Del Conte has been wanting to see for a long time.

Del Conte took over as the athletics director at Texas in 2017, six years after the Longhorns last played Texas A&M. He saw quickly how much the rivalry meant to the fans and wanted to bring the Lone Star Showdown back.

Now, it’s a reality as the two schools announced Cotton Holdings as the corporate sponsor. To Del Conte, it’s a big item off his list of goals in Austin.

“I think everyone knew, when I became the director of athletics at the University of Texas, they asked the first question, how about the A&M rivalry?” Del Conte said Thursday. “I said it then and I’ll say it now. The most important thing we can do is restore this rivalry.”

The excitement continues to build as Texas and Texas A&M get ready to renew their storied rivalry. Both sides have talked about the meaning of it, and Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers expects a “rowdy” environment at Kyle Field for the matchup.

But Del Conte pointed out the importance for the alumni of both schools who work alongside each other or, quite simply, are friends. As the college football world continues to change and rivalries begin to look different – or fade away altogether – he said it adds to the desire to bring it back.

“College athletics is built on great rivalries,” Del Conte said. “It’s what separates us from everyone else. We think about the passion, the history, A&M’s culture. It’s what they stand for, it’s who they are as an institution, it’s the University of Texas and who we are as an institution playing on the field. It’s our pageantry that goes against each other and we come back after the game and we talk about that for a year in the water coolers. Talked earlier about our two esteemed gentlemen talking about what the rivalry meant historically.

“The last time we played this game was 2011. Being back here today, it’s critical for this state, it’s critical for college football. I’m so excited for both alumni bases. … It is awesome, when you think about the restoration and the reclamation of this rivalry. It is going to be fantastic.”