Mike Elko Makes His Feelings on the Miami Hurricanes Extremely Clear

The Aggies are hosting a playoff game as they make their first College Football Playoff appearance.

Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko on the field in the second half of a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

There was a lot of anticipation for Texas A&M once selection Sunday came around, with questions of if they would go up, down, who its first round matchup would be, etc. The Aggies landed the No. 7 spot in the College Football Playoff, meaning the Aggies will host their first ever playoff game at Kyle Field.

Much like the Aggies, Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami were all fighting for the No. 9 and No. 10 spots in the playoffs as all three teams made cases to be in the field. Ultimately, the committee decided to put Miami in the 10 slot, meaning the Aggies will host the Hurricanes at Kyle Field.

"Miami is obviously a great team," Mike Elko said. "A team that I've got some familiarity with from my time at Duke, and I think Mario has done a phenomenal job with that program, building the talent level."

A Look Ahead To Miami

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) passes against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Miami Hurricanes sit at 10-2 on the season, as they were able to start the year off with a 27-24 victory over Notre Dame. Their two losses came against two unranked teams in Louisville and SMU, which was enough to knock them out of the ACC title game.

Despite the late-season struggles, the committee decided to honor the head-to-head matchup against Notre Dame, where the Hurricanes were able to control the Fighting Irish on the field. Miami has a number of ranked wins including Notre Dame, South Florida, Florida State and Pittsburgh, although many of these teams have since fallen out of the top 25.

"Certainly one of the more talented teams in the country," Elko said about Miami. "Certainly going to be hungry to prove that the committee got it right by putting them in, and so it's going to be a huge challenge for our program but certainly excited for the opportunity.

The last time the Aggies hosted the Hurricanes at Kyle Field was September of 2022, when the two quarterbacks that faced off were Max Johnson and Tyler Van Dyke. Certainly, a lot has changed since then, yet the energy of the 12th Man is something that will stay.

"Opportunity to host a game at Kyle Field, I think that will be a really special moment for this program," Elko said. "First time we've had playoff football here in College Station, so obviously excited to see the 12th Man turn out for playoff football and excited for the opportunity."

The Aggies and Hurricanes are set to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, December 20 on ESPN and ABC.