Will Texas A&M Lose Conference Rivalry With Arkansas In 2025?
Nothing is set in stone yet regarding the future conference games, but the SEC could be following a similar format to that of the ACC. Last month, the conference announced it would rid itself of divisions and turn to a 3-5-5 structure where each team will play three primary opponents annually.
For Texas A&M, the competitors seemed to be a breeze with Texas, LSU and Arkansas. According to Jimbo Fisher, both Texas and LSU are locked in for future matchups on the regular.
As for the third team? According to the fifth-year coach, Mississippi State is on the docket instead of the Hogs.
"When Texas comes into the league, when that schedule comes in, definitely because of that rivalry," Fisher said Thursday at SEC Media Days. "I think LSU is a great rivalry. But that’s probably our two biggest. Then Arkansas goes into that, too. But I don’t know if that was one of our three that they equated to us in what we did."
Facing Mike Leach and the Bulldogs won't be a problem for the Aggies, but there are questions about why Arkansas isn't the third option. The schools began the annual rivalry of the Southwest Classic back when both were members of the now defunct-Southwest Conference. The rivalry reignited in 2009 and continued once the Aggies jumped from the Big 12 to the SEC.
Since 2012, A&M has won nine of the last 10 matchups against the Razorbacks, though games have remained closed since the showdown moved to Arlington, Texas in 2014. Of the eight matchups, four have ended in a one-score game.
Both LSU and Texas make sense due to recent success and geographical location. The matchups between the Tigers and Aggies have become a spectacle to close out the regular season in both Tiger Stadium and Kyle Field.
As for Texas, fans have clamored for the "Lone Star Showdown" to return since its final game in 2011. All time, the Longhorns hold a 76–37–5 lead over the Aggies.
It is expected the game will be renewed once Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC for the 2025 season.
"The scheduling model is critical, especially as conferences expand," Fisher said. "I think the ability to get everybody to play everybody because you’re talking about a conference champion now, and not being able to play each other and make sure you do when a guy is there in school is going to be critical."
Should the Bulldogs be the third team, there's reason to believe in a quality matchup moving forward. The series is all knotted at 7-7, with Leach and Fisher both holding a 1-1 record since the Air-Raid offensive innovator joined the program in 2020.
"The model of three is much better because it gives you more consistency, helps keep some traditional rivalries," Fisher said. "I think that’s the one thing we’re trying to do in college football. To me it makes college football special, the rivalries of college football, trying to keep as many traditions as you can with the expanding world.
"If you can keep as much as you can, I think it’s great. I think that model will be there.
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