Texas A&M Aggies Haven't Regretted Move to the SEC Over a Decade Later

The Texas A&M Aggies just wrapped up season No. 14 in the SEC, and the 2025 season was one of the best for the Aggies since moving to the conference, ending the year with an 11-2 record and booking themselves a ticket to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

The Aggies now settle into the midst of their second decade in the SEC after deciding to trade their conference allegiance from the Big 12, which the Aggies had been a part of since the conference's inception in 1994 and first began in 1996, to the growing football powerhouse of the Southeastern Conference.

And now, with plenty of years passing since the move, there undoubtedly should not be any regrets from the Maroon and White side that the move to the SEC was a bad business decision; in fact, it was one of the best realignment moves in recent years, as one prominent college football analyst put it.

Texas A&M Ranked as the Happiest Program with Realignment Move

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed looks to throw the ball. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On3's Andy Staples took to X to rank some of the major conference realignment moves throughout the 2010s, and listed the programs by who should be the happiest with their move, and the Aggies' move from the Big 12 to the SEC tops Staples' rankings.

Reading former Nebraska AD Bill Moos’ book — where he writes about meeting with Bob Bowlsby in 2020 about a potential return to the Big 12 — got me thinking about the realignment moves of the 2010s.

So I ranked them based on who should be happiest…https://t.co/LZLWDwtrL1 pic.twitter.com/X526HWtfND
— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) February 19, 2026

Behind the Aggies at No. 2 are the Utah Utes, moving from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12, and then at No. 3 is a different team in the Lone Star State in the TCU Horned Frogs, also moving from the Mountain West to the Big 12.

Right outside the top three is the other program that moved from the Big 12 to the SEC with the Aggies back in 2012, in the Missouri Tigers.

Texas A&M's Time in the SEC

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel runs with the ball against the Auburn Tigers. | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

In more than a decade since moving to the SEC, the Aggies have posted a 64-49 record against conference opponents, while also taking part in 12 bowl games. While the Aggies have yet to play for the SEC championship, they have reached the eight-win mark in 11 of 14 seasons, while only finishing under .500 just once since coming over to the SEC.

The Aggies' debut season in the SEC was electric, spearheaded by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, whose 3,706 passing yards, 26 touchdowns to nine interceptions, and 21 rushing touchdowns led the Aggies to an 11-2 record with a season-defining win over No. 1-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Since then, Texas A&M has become one of the most recognizable brands in all of college football, with the Maroon and White growing into one of the most competitive teams in the SEC, and with Elko at the helm, headed into his third season, the Aggies will undoubtedly continue to grow and get better.