Texas A&M Football fans have had a hectic week, even if their own team hasn’t necessarily been in the news. The Aggies were, however, forced into the spotlight for news that didn’t directly related to them when Oklahoma and Texas announced that they were going to attempt to join the SEC.
This came as negative news for the Aggies, who left the Big 12 almost a decade ago in part to avoid the Texas Longhorns, who received preferential treatment from the conference. The Aggies were essentially living in their shadow.
It was confirmed that Texas A&M was not thrilled about the Longhorns’ attempt to join the SEC when Athletic Director Ross Bjork proclaimed that the Aggies “want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas.”
If you want a more detailed history of this, you can click on this article.
Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork, along with others, have had a change of heart on the situation
There’s no denying it, Bjork seemed rattled by the fact that Texas was joining the SEC. That said, any lack of confidence is in the past, as Bjork was quoted by ESPN recently with a pretty drastic change of heart. Here’s what he said.
"“Our teams are ready. Our coaches are ready. Our athletic department is ready to compete at the highest level. That’s what the SEC is, that’s what we are as a university, and we’re ready for whatever comes next.”"
The Aggies are undeniably a better program than they were a decade ago when they were being dominated by Texas on almost a yearly basis. When the Longhorns join the SEC, the rivalry might just shift in the Aggies favor.
And it looks like they will join the SEC.
With each passing day, Texas and Oklahoma’s entrance to the SEC seems closer to a done-deal. On Tuesday, these two programs leaving the Big 12 became official. They announced the departure of Texas and Oklahoma at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Here’s what the Big 12 said in a press release as they’re frantically grasping for straws to cling to relevancy.
"“We are unwavering in the belief that the Big 12 provides an outstanding platform for its members’ athletic and academic success. We will face the challenges head-on, and have confidence that the Big 12 will continue to be a vibrant and successful entity in the near term and into the foreseeable future.”"
While they will undoubtedly face their challenges head-on, the Big 12 is quickly falling apart with the departure of more than a couple of key programs in recent memory.
On Tuesday, Oklahoma and Texas officially announced that they had applied to join the SEC starting in the 2025-26 season. The formal membership request has been submitted and the SEC will meet on Thursday, July 29th to discuss whether or not they should create a superconference. Not much of a decision to be made, is it?
For the Aggies, this isn’t necessarily great news. At the very least, one of college football’s greatest rivalries will be renewed. Texas and Texas A&M have not played each other since the Aggies’ departure from the conference, so this could bring some excitement into each season.