It appears that Texas has officially told the Aggies that we don't plan to make them a part of our non-conference schedule in the near future.
Aggie AD Bill Byrne is saying we have told them we have no room on the schedule at least through 2018. The Aggies wanted to keep playing the game around Thanksgiving. There are indications that both Baylor and Texas Tech would like to play A&M, but the Aggies claim that the September start of SEC play makes that almost impossible.
This year's contest will be the 118th meeting between the two programs, dating back to 1894. Texas leads the series 75-37-5.
I see no reason to make room for the Aggies on the schedule -- not out of anger or pettiness -- it just doesn't make good business sense to help them with their transition out of the Big 12 and into the SEC.
I have always thought we could follow the template Penn State used with Pitt. Their rivalry started in 1893, and for a long time it was an annual event, usually played on Thanksgiving weekend. After Pitt went to the Big East and Penn State went to the Big 10 they played a couple more times, but then Penn State dropped the Panthers off their schedule entirely in 2000. They will play home-and-home beginning in 2016.
That seems about right. Drop the Aggies for about 20 years to let them find their level in the SEC and then maybe schedule a series.
Byrne told all his coaches that they could check with their counterparts at UT to see about scheduling non-conference events. So far only men's tennis has responded -- and Texas turned them down.