Jimbo Fisher Wants Longhorns As Aggies Permanent SEC Rival
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher will play whoever comes to town once Texas and Oklahoma arrive from the Big 12 in 2024. Then again, he has his own opinion on who the Aggies should face as their yearly rival if the Southeastern Conference follows the new "1-7" model for scheduling.
“When Texas comes into the thing, of course you’d want Texas, because that’s the traditional rival and the things you have,” Fisher reporters at the SEC Meetings Tuesday of making the Longhorns the permanent rival of A&M. “But there are a lot of great ones in the SEC, too. … LSU has become a great rivalry for us right there. But as you go traditional rivalries of A&M, you would probably say Texas.”
Fisher considers Texas — a longtime foe of the Aggies during their days in the Big 12 and Southwest Conference — the "permanent" rival of the program. The feeling, at least for now, hasn't been reciprocated.
When asked who the Longhorns hope to be their yearly rival, Oklahoma was chosen over A&M due to the impact of the Red River Showdown. The two programs have met at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the state fair since 1929. The effect of the game brings in ample revenue to not the two institutions, but also to state funding.
In the projected one permanent rival matchup, A&M would be paired with LSU, the annual opponent to close out the SEC regular season since the Aggies' arrival to the conference in 2012. When asked how he felt that UT picked Oklahoma over A&M, Fisher shrugged his shoulders and said, “That’s fine with me.”
"Listen, we’re not going to live our life worried about Texas," Fisher added. "You know what I’m saying? We’re going to live our life worrying about A&M and what’s best for A&M. That’s great and has nothing to do with them."
SEC presidents are currently deliberating the future of conference games during meetings in Destin, Fla. The decision seems to be between leaving the schedule at eight conference games or expanding to nine with three nonconference matchups.
Should presidents vote to expand to nine conference matchups, the league is expected to follow a "3-6" formula that would give programs three consecutive rivals and six rotating opponents. Texas' three permanent rivals would be Oklahoma, Arkansas and A&M, while the Aggies' three foes would be LSU, Mississippi State and the Longhorns,
Fisher hopes the Lonestar Showdown returns to a yearly basis due to state impact, but isn't losing sleep over potentially only playing the game once every several seasons. The Aggies-Tigers rivalry has grown in recent memory, leading to several-high profile matchups since Fisher's arrival in College Station in 2018.
During his first season, A&M and LSU went to seven overtimes and lasted nearly five hours in a 74-72 victory for the Aggies. In 2022, the Tigers avoided being bowl ineligible thanks to a 28-yard touchdown pass from Max Johnson to Jaray Jenkins with 20 seconds to nab the 27-24 win.
Last season, A&M ended its year on the right note while eliminating any chance for the then-No. 5 Tigers to make it to the College Football Playoff in a 38-23 victory at Kyle Field.
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