Friday, November 25, 2011

 

The End of a Storied Rivalry (at least, for a while?)

The first college football I can ever remember watching on TV was a University of Texas – Texas A & M game on Thanksgiving in the late 50’s.  I was in going to high school in Indiana at that time.  Little did I know then that I would become an ardent fan of the Longhorns - a result attending graduate school in Austin a few years later.  UT – A & M has always been as Thanksgiving as turkey!

                TexasLonghorns               tamu-logo-11

Last night we watched the end (for only a while, perhaps) of this long rivalry – a fitting end for Longhorn fans, at least, at UT defeated the Aggies, 27 – 25, on a FG as time expired.

It is a shame that a rivalry that has played out for over a century has to end for reasons that one can only speculate.  The Houston Chronicle’s Jerome Solomon has written an interesting blog on this topic.

So, as an avid Longhorn, all I can say is good luck Aggies in the rugged SEC with the currently ranked #1 (LSU), #2 (Alabama), and #3 (Arkansas) teams in the country.  Mix in Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, and Mississippi, and you have your work cut out for you.  To the alumni, now you can drive to places like Baton Rouge, Birmingham, and Gainesville instead of Austin, Lubbock, Norman, Waco, etc., to watch games.  And, while I may be wrong, my suspicions are that recruiting high school stars may be even easier for UT now that the in-state rivalries will no longer exist.

Yes, I am sorry to see this series end – it is the end of an era in college football.  Hook ‘em!


Comments:
Not only have these conference realignments caused some of the fan issues that you listed, it has really wreaked havoc on the college basketball landscape. The departure of Syracuse and Pitt from the Big East to the ACC has really ruined the Big East tournament. Also, many natural rivalries in hoops are going to be compromised. It's all about the football money now....it's a shame.
 
Natural rivalries are about to disappear...I can't imagine A&M vs LSU being as big as vs Texas......

Tim Cruser
 
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