Texas A&M Football: Dream Non-Conference Matchups

Texas A&M football, merely by virtue of playing in a conference like the SEC, is guaranteed several marquee matchups every year. The Aggies’ yearly bouts with programs like LSU, Alabama, and Auburn are often centerpieces of the given Saturday on which they fall every year for college football fans.

As the SEC welcomes two new entrants in the fall of 2024, all signs point to a shift from an 8-game conference schedule to a 9-game conference schedule. The grind of playing SEC teams week in and week out—a grind to which Texas and OU will certainly soon be rudely awakened—will become that much more tough at that point. Some are worried that this new scheduling method will come at the expense of premier non-conference matchups. The upcoming years for Texas A&M football include a return trip to Miami this season, home-and-homes against Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Louisville.

Obviously, Notre Dame is one of the biggest names in collegiate athletics. I have a hard time seeing the Texas A&M brass kicking that series to the curb. The ASU and Louisville series, however, would seem far more prone to cancellation if this 9-game conference slate manifests.

It would certainly be regrettable if all Power 5 non-conference competition were eliminated for Texas A&M football due to the new scheduling format. Even if that takes place, though, there would still be many premier home games to go around. Ideally, though, the Aggies would still aim for one top-tier opponent in the non-conference slate each year. In that vein, here are some suggestions for future matchups that fans of Texas A&M football and college football in general would love to see.