Steve Sarkisian, Texas football ready to renew Texas A&M rivalry
After more than a decade, the historic college football rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M is officially back on as the Longhorns are set to officially join the SEC this coming season and beyond. Looking ahead to that game, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian says his team is ready for the reunion.
"The question is about with all of the changes happening in college football like NIL, transfer portal, conference realignment, you name it, we've got a lot going on right now," Sarkisian said in remarks at the Touchdown Club of Houston.
"But with that change, what's coming is renewing the rivalry with A&M and how to get our players that we recruit back into the vigor of that rivalry that I think y'all have enjoyed for decades and decades. It's not hard at all. We'll be ready."
The rivalry was played between the two in-state rivals every season from 1915 to 2011, the year A&M left the Big 12 to play in the SEC. And after news broke that the Longhorns would also join the conference, both sides were quick to embrace the return of their longstanding hostilities.
That game, the season finale for both schools, will be easily one of the marquee games not only in the SEC but on the national college football schedule this year.
Sarkisian pointed out that, despite all the uprooting change that college football is going through, it's realignment that allows fans to see his series open up again.
"People are excited about some of the conference realignment that's happening," he said.
"People are excited about the expanded College Football Playoff. People are excited about rivalries getting renewed. Everyone's worried about conference realignment that we're losing rivalries? Well, there are some good ones getting renewed, too."
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JAMES PARKS
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.