Why Steve Sarkisian Has No Issue With Texas vs. Texas A&M Being on Friday

The 2025 Lone Star Showdown between the No. 16 Texas Longhorns and the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies takes place a little sooner than the schools are used to this year, with kickoff scheduled for Friday night at DKR in Austin.

And after this year, there's a good chance that the historic rivalry will stay slated in the primetime spot on Black Friday, at least that is what Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts said Monday afternoon during his press conference.

If that is the case going forward, don't expect Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian to take any issues with it.

An Opportunity to Stand Alone

During his weekly press conference on Monday, Sarkisian was very vocal about how much the rivalry means to the sport of college football, and how playing on a Friday night is a prime opportunity for the game regarding national attention.

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko, left, shakes hands with Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian after the game. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7. at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

“I like that this game we get an opportunity to stand alone,” Sarkisian said. “Okay, so whether it’s Thanksgiving or Friday after Thanksgiving, I just think this game deserves the spotlight to stand alone, and the fact that we’re playing on Friday night with all the eyes of college football on it, really the football world on this game."

“You know, last year we were a Saturday night game, and we were up against some other games. So, this year, being Friday night, I think it is good for the game.”

Trev Alberts echoed Sarkisian's enthusiasm during his press conference and mentioned his chat he had with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, talking about doing what was best for the rivalry game and for both schools.

“You have a lot of different factors,” Alberts said. “Chris and I talked about this a little bit. What you really want, from my perspective, you want this game to be in a window where you’re like, it. We believe that this game is a rivalry that has a chance."

"You want that to be in a prime-time window when the entire focus on the country is on those two brands. We’re excited that it’s in prime time, we’re excited that it’s on Friday night. We think it’s a perfect time."

The rivalry was revived after a 13-year hiatus last year, and resulted in a 17-7 win by the Horns, punching their ticket to the SEC Championship and bringing their all-time record in the rivalry to a runaway 77-37-5.

The going will be tougher this time by, as the Longhorns will look to disrupt the momentum of their undefeated rivals, all while keeping their own playoff hopes alive in the process.

The first Lone Star Showdown in Austin since 2010 is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 PM Friday night.