might be considered "little brother" by those up Interstate 35 in Austin, but a decade in college football's toughest conference might have upped their weight class when delivering the punch.
Time to see if the Aggies can secure their spot as the top team in the Lone Star State come 2024 against the flagship program on the Forty Acres.
A&M will host the first revival of the Lone Star Showdown against the Texas Longhorns in 2024. The Aggies also will have home matchups against LSU and Missouri, as well as road showdowns against Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and South Carolina.
The Aggies round out their 2024 schedule with non-conference games against Notre Dame, McNeese State, Bowling Green and New Mexico State. Both A&M and Notre Dame agreed to a home-and-home series back in 2014, with the Aggies playing host on Aug. 31, 2024, then traveling to South Bend for the return trip on Sept. 27, 2025.
The 2024 season also marks the end of the annual Southwest Classicrivalry against Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The two programs have met at "Jerry World" since 2014, though the contract only runs through 2024. Barring a change to the schedule, the Aggies and Hogs will only meet quadrennially at their respective home stadiums.
Last month, SEC officials voted to go with a temporary eight-game conference schedule in 2024 due to the arrivals of Texas and Oklahoma. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said that the move would only be in place for the time being as the league tries to navigate through changes, including expansion to the College Football Playoff.
"During this time of change, our fans will continue to enjoy traditional rivalries and begin to see new matchups presented by adding two historically successful football programs to the SEC," Sankey said on June 1.
Under the new eight-game format, Texas' permanent rival will be Oklahoma due to the success and pageantry of the Red River Showdown. The game has been played yearly during the State Fair of Texas and is expected to remain inside the Cotton Bowl on a new deal by both schools.
For A&M, its annual rival will be LSU for more than geographical purposes. The Aggies and Tigers have built an unwavering clash for another on Interstate 10 since the arrival of Jimbo Fisher in 2018. Highlights include a skirmish on Kyle Field following a seven-overtime showdown in 2018, a game-winning touchdown from eventual A&M quarterback Max Johnson in 2021 and a 38-23 loss in College Station that cost the then-No. 5 Tigers a potential shot at the College Football Playoff.
The real storyline for 2024 is the return of the Lone Star Showdown. After A&M departed the Big 12 in favor of the SEC, then-athletic director DeLoss Dodds told The Daily Texan, the university's student newspaper, that the rivalry would only return on the Longhorns' terms.
New Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and A&M athletic director Ross Bjork have spoken of the prominence of the rivalry, though A&M and Bjork were initially hesitant to see Texas join the SEC when it was announced last July. Both sides have seemed to come to an understanding that they will be in each other's lives for the foreseeable future.
A&M, which is coming off its worst season since 2008, made it clear from the jump that if the Lone Star Showdown were to return, the first game was to be played at Kyle Field. The Aggies hosted the last matchup between the two in-state rivals in 2011, culminating in a game-winning 40-yard kick from Justin Tucker to give the Longhorns a 27-25 victory.
All-time, Texas leads the series over A&M, 76-37-5. Should the league move to a nine-game format in the future, the two schools would meet regularly, switching locations from Austin and College Station. As for the Thanksgiving festivities, that's likely a question for another date.
The 2024 season will mark the end of the annual showdown against SEC East rival South Carolina for the Bonham Trophy. The two schools were pigeonholed against each other once expansion shifted realignment to rivalries and played in favor of the conference's newest member. Since 2014, the Aggies have dominated the matchup, posting an overall 8-1 record against the Gameco*cks.
The Tigers from the "other" Columbia followed A&M from the Big 12 to the SEC, so it makes sense the two would meet in a year full of revivals. Since shipping out of the Big 12, Missouri and A&M have met four times, each posting two wins. Since their first matchup in 1957, the Aggies hold a 10-7 series lead over the Tigers, winning the last showdown back in 2021.
While divisions will cease following the arrival of the two Big 12 programs, A&M will face two SEC West opponents in the new era of the game. While the Aggies hold the series lead (12-7), Auburn has won four of the last six games, including last year under interim coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Bulldogs will be entering their next chapter of football following the passing of Mike Leach. Leach, who died due to complications related to a heart condition, had A&M's numbers while at Mississippi State and Texas Tech, posting a 9-4 record.
While the Lone Star Showdown and Red River Showdown will remain intact,other rivalries preserved by the '24 schedule include Alabama-Tennessee, Alabama-LSU, Texas-Arkansas,Georgia-Auburn, Georgia-Florida, Georgia-Tennessee. Additionally, the Bulldogs will play the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide will play the Sooners.
Subscribe to the Texas A&M Aggies Daily Blitz Podcast!
Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Aggies? Click Here to Subscribe to the All Aggies Newsletter
Want even more Texas A&M Aggies News? Check out the SI.com team page here
