Texas A&M football: Scott Woodward told Texas ‘no thanks’ on renewing rivalry

Athletic Director Scott Woodward gave specific reasons why he told Texas’ AD no to renewing the rivalry between them and Texas A&M football, and they are spot on.

Oh, how the tables have turned. Texas A&M football and Texas haven’t played each other since the Ags booked it for the SEC. If you believe what came out today, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon.

Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle reported Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte called to ask Texas A&M athletic director Scott Woodward about scheduling the game for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Woodward essentially said “no, thanks” due to A&M’s scheduling and tough conference.

"“We were already booked. We’re booked 10 years out. He had an opening at the time, and it suited him, but it didn’t suit us.”“You have Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State rolling in here every other year, and Arkansas in Dallas every year. That’s a pretty darn good schedule,” Woodward said. “And as brutal and hard as our schedule is in the SEC West. … it’s definitely the toughest division in football. That’s proven year in and year out.”"

Of course, this has gotten the t.u. Twitter army out in droves. Making claims that Texas wants the game and Texas A&M does not, or that the Aggies are scared to play them again.

This is folly.

You don’t even need to make the point about how tough the SEC West is to shut down those two ridiculous arguments.

Scared of Texas?

What is there to be scared of? Since Texas fired Mack Brown, they have gone 6-7, 5-7, 5-7, and 7-6 in a considerably weak conference.

The Big 12 is no where near where it used to be after Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri and Texas A&M all left for greener pastures, yet Texas is getting embarrassed by Oklahoma and TCU every year.

Tom Herman was supposed to be the savior, but even he couldn’t escape losing to Maryland and Kansas in his first year.

Texas may be one of the most storied programs in college football, but there is hardly reason to be scared of them anymore. Texas A&M sure as hell isn’t, especially when more than half of their own division is ranked every season.

Texas A&M wanted the game first, Texas said no

It’s funny how quick t.u. fans forget history. A&M said from the beginning they wanted to continue playing the rivalry game. It was Texas AD DeLoss Dodds who refused to keep it going after A&M left for the SEC.

Texas had their non-conference full up of Power 5 opponents at the time, so they refused to schedule A&M. That was apparently OK. But now that Texas needed an opponent after Ohio State asked to reschedule their games with Texas in 2022 and 2023, A&M is the one who doesn’t want the game? It doesn’t work that way.

Not to mention, Del Conte asked when he knew A&M had already scheduled Miami for those same seasons. He asked when he knew the answer would be no. It’s a move straight from the Larry David playbook: the accidental text on purpose.

He’s trying to get credit for scheduling the game without actually wanting to schedule the game, and for trying to get the game back for two seasons? That is such a waste of time. It either comes back every year or it doesn’t come back at all.

Aggies and Longhorns will argue all day whether or not the game should be played, and both have their reasons, but don’t believe Texas is actually trying to get the game back. A&M wanted it all along, and after a while you have to move on to bigger and better things.

A&M has Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Colorado scheduled for the next 10 years. Woodward clearly moved on.

Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.