Kenny Dillingham Sends Strong Message About Facing Texas A&M at Kyle Field

Ahead of Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils heading to College Station to face the Texas A&M Aggies, he sent a message about the atmosphere there

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham watches his players warm up before their game against the Morgan State Bears at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Texas A&M Aggies are on to week two of the college football season, and after a dominant week one performance that saw the program shutout the Missouri State Bears for a 50-0 win, the level of competition will greatly increase for the next matchup.

Mike Elko and the Aggies will welcome Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils to campus now in the first Power 4 test of the year for the program, giving the staff a closer look at how they will do against some of the other talented teams.

For Dillingham and the Sun Devils, this is their first big test too, including playing at Kyle Field, one of the most hostile environments in the sport, and he didn't shy away from that fact either.

An Atmosphere Never Seen Before

Texas A&M Aggies celebrate the win over Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Sun Devils are no roll-over team, and for the Aggies, it marks their first real test of the 2026 season, looking to give the coaching staff more information about what the roster will look like. Both teams are 1-0, and the Sun Devils rolled to a 70-7 win, but now they have travel to College Station and the intimidating Kyle Field.

"I know for some of the guys, it'll be their first game in this environment, and it will be surreal for them," Dillingham said during his press conference. "There is no way to prepare, and to say there is a way to prepare for your first game with 100,000 fans on the road is not real."

Not only will this be one of the most hostile environments that Dillingham and his team will travel too, but that point is only enhanced because of the capacity of Kyle Field. There will be over 102,000 screaming Aggies in the stadium, known for shaking the press box at times as well, a feeling unfamiliar to their opponent.

The Sun Devils play in a stadium capacity of of 53,000, nearly half of what they will be walking into for the week two matchup, and the biggest conference stadium they have played in since joining the Big 12 is under 70,000, once again a mark far from what they will see.

The results on the field are all that matters, but there is no atmosphere like the one the 12th man brings, and they could play a huge roll in the matchup, and help push the Aggies to another 2-0 start.

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