Texas A&M football will know "majority" of kickoff times within short order; Will Aggies, Longhorns play on Thanksgiving?
Though there were certainly Texas A&M football fans who weren't a fan of the move, one of the benefits of the SEC going exclusive with ABC/ESPN/Disney for broadcasting is that the uncertainty brokered by CBS's option to choose top matchups is now out the door. Without waiting for the big network to select their contest every week, The Mouse can arrange the schedule much more ahead of time.
According to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, it looks like the SEC will have a lot of their game times announced within a month's time. Several important game times have already been released, including each of the first three matchups for the Aggies, but it looks like the rest are not far off from being made public.
SEC will also have kickoff times for majority of all games announced by late June
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 29, 2024
There's an interesting twist with a question that has been hanging over A&M and Texas fans since the rivalry was renewed. The annual Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Ole Miss, usually played on Thanksgiving, is moving off of that date and onto Black Friday, according to Ross Dellenger.
The 2024 Egg Bowl, between Mississippi State & Ole Miss, is shifting off Thanksgiving and onto Black Friday, sources tell @YahooSports.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 30, 2024
The Rebels & Bulldogs kick off at 3:30 pm ET on Nov. 29 & will be televised on ABC - a major viewership spot for deeply rooted hate.
This means that there is no SEC matchup slated for Thanksgiving night. Could the Aggies and Longhorns play on Thanksgiving this year?
According to A&M AD Trev Alberts, it looks like the answer is "no."
To correct and clarify. Alberts meant game would not be moved this year. Future Thanksgiving games are possible
— Olin Buchanan (@olinbuchanan) May 30, 2024
This is likely a better result for the Aggies, who will be coming off a tough road trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Longhorns will have just hosted Kentucky, so that's not exactly the same level of difficulty in the week preceding the highly-anticipated showdown.
There's just about no doubt in my mind that the Texas A&M and Texas matchup will be a night game at Kyle Field. The Iron Bowl has been in the 3:30 slot on rivalry weekend for what seems like forever (with the exception of 2014), and I think they'll likely stay there. I'm already excited for that weekend—it'll be the most electric atmosphere at Kyle in recent memory.