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Kickoff times announced: Texas A&M will have surprising primetime opponent early on

The SEC has officially released early-season kickoff times, and Texas A&M fans were surprised to see the exposure they'll get for the first game of the year.
ByGraham Harmon|
Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail view of a Texas A&M Aggies helmet on the sideline during the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.
Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail view of a Texas A&M Aggies helmet on the sideline during the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Texas A&M football has several key games this year that will help shape the landscape of the 2025 season— Notre Dame, LSU, Texas, even Florida if the Gators hold up their end of the bargain— but very few Aggie fans considered their opener against UTSA to be a contest of particular importance. Of course, that's mostly because the Aggies are assumed to take home a win in that one (though UTSA should not be underestimated, of course).

Usually, it's those big games that get picked up for primetime broadcasts on premium channels. However, the Aggies are clearly a big story in the sport this year, with one of the most exciting and dynamic young players in the country at quarterback, and so networks are more disposed to option them to higher exposure.

This is apparently what is going on with one of the early-season games for the Aggies. Though we knew for a while that the contest against Notre Dame in South Bend would be a prime time kickoff on NBC, the SEC's recent release of kickoff times for the first part of the season reveals that the Aggies will be introduced to a broader audience this year even earlier than that.

Texas A&M fans discover early-season kickoff times, including prime time game in week one vs. UTSA

Texas A&M now knows their first three times for games in the upcoming year, and the Aggies have been optioned for a perhaps surprising timeslot in their opener against UTSA:

The 6 PM CT game on ESPN is usually reserved for the network's second-best game in terms of which broadcasts they think will get big ratings in that timeslot, and that's one they've delegated for Texas A&M against UTSA.

This wasn't expected per se, but it's not necessarily surprising. As I mentioned, the Aggies have intriguing storylines that abound for this season, and they'll have a chance to draw some eyes with the top-shelf playmakers on their team this year. Not least of these is Marcel Reed, but the additions of Mario Craver, KC Concepcion, and the return of Le'Veon Moss also play a role here.

This could be an explosive and fun team to watch, and it's certainly one that will be competing in some high-leverage contest. It makes sense for the Aggies to be introduced to the country early on in a big way, and ESPN clearly recognizes that.

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