Texas A&M to explore ways to commemorate rekindled rivalry with UT
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The Texas A&M University Board of Regents on Thursday directed Interim President Mark A. Welsh III to form an exploratory committee to study and recommend ways to appropriately commemorate the return of the university’s storied football rivalry with The University of Texas at Austin.
The move is a nod to the intense anticipation that has built up over the 12-year hiatus, leaving Aggies and Longhorns alike eagerly anticipating the revival of a rivalry that has been embraced for generations.
UT and the University of Oklahoma will leave the Big 12 Conference next year and officially become part of the Southeastern Conference, which Texas A&M joined in 2012. The committee will serve in an advisory capacity as it considers a range of possibilities.
Welsh expressed his enthusiasm for the committee’s upcoming work and plans to select and charge the committee in the near future. “I look forward to seeing what the students, staff, faculty, and former students on this committee come up with. After being dormant for 12 years, I know Aggies and Longhorns all over the world are ready to rekindle the passion, camaraderie, and competitive spirit that has defined this rivalry game in the past. It will be great to have the ‘Horns back in Aggieland next Fall. It will be even better to “Saw ‘Em Off!”
Although the two schools may be opponents on the field, students and alum have come together in tougher times.
Recently, the rivalry was paused, when alumni of the University of Texas joined Aggies in the annual cleaning of the Bonfire Memorial site.
“Rivalries don’t matter when it comes to selfless service and loss,” said Amanda Neel, collections manager for the galleries. “The Texas Exes’ participation in this year’s cleaning shows how greatly the collapse of the Bonfire affected not only the A&M community but Texas as a whole.”
Read more about the partnership here and read about Bonfire remembrance at bonfire.tamu.edu.
