Storied Rivalry Returns As Texas A&M Hosts Texas At Kyle Field

The rivalry is back.

After a 13-year hiatus, the football teams from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas will meet again on Nov. 30 at Kyle Field.

The two teams last played in 2011 when both universities were in the Big 12 Conference.  Texas A&M moved to the Southeastern Conference in 2012, which suspended the rivalry that began in the 1800s.

With the University of Texas now in the Southeastern Conference, the Aggies and the Longhorns are set to square off in football once again as conference opponents over Thanksgiving weekend.

The game, dubbed the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown, revives not just a rivalry between teams, but one of college football’s most heated and historic showdowns among fan bases. While the action on the field promises to be competitive — with post-season implications for both teams — the weekend will also be packed with action off the field.

Rivalry Cup Golf Tournament

Events kick off on Nov. 26, with the Rivalry Cup Golf Tournament at Miramont in Bryan. A team of Aggie golfers will be competing against a team of Longhorns. Money raised from the event will go to golf teams from both universities, through the 12th Man Foundation.

Yell Practice And Concert

Texas A&M will host a Yell Practice at Kyle Field the Friday before the game, starting at 5:30 p.m. instead of the midnight start to return to some of the rivalry traditions. Gates will open for the event on Nov. 29 at 4 p.m., with Head Coach Mike Elko and the Aggie football team in attendance. The event is expected to last about an hour instead of the usual 30 minutes and will be followed by fireworks.

Yell Practice will conclude with the 12th Man fireworks show in Kyle Field. Afterward, Pat Green, Shane Smith and the Saints, and the Randy Rogers Band will perform in Reed Arena in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown Concert presented by ASA Events. The concert begins at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are available through the 12th Man Foundation, with  prices starting at $25.

Food And Friends

Prior to the game on Saturday, fans are invited to the 13-0 Burn barbecue cookoff on the Aggie Spirit Lawn in Aggie Park. Twenty teams will be competing for awards and prizes. The name of the event is a nod to the score of the 1915 Aggie win over Texas. In 1917, a group of Texas A&M students branded Bevo, the University of Texas’ longhorn mascot, with 13-0 to commemorate the score.

Corps Of Cadets On Full Display

As game time approaches on Saturday, the Corps of Cadets will have the Aggie Spirit on full display, conducting a pre-game march through campus that includes the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and Parsons Mounted Cavalry, along with the first lady of Aggieland, mascot Reveille X.

Maroon Out

The game itself is a Maroon Out game, with Aggie fans encouraged to wear maroon. Since 1998, proceeds generated from the sales of official Maroon Out apparel have benefited Texas A&M student organizations.

Military Recognition

Members of the U.S. Navy Leap Frog Parachute Team had planned to jump into Kyle Field for the game, but had to cancel for a safety standdown issued within the team. The game ball will be delivered to the field after being carried from Austin in a military-style ruck march involving student veterans and ROTC cadets from both universities.

Rivalry Challenge

The football game and the 13-0 Burn barbecue cookoff will not be the weekend’s only competitions. Both universities will compete in the Rivalry Challenge, a fundraising competition that will take place between Nov. 21 and Nov. 29.

Donations for Texas A&M will go to The Association of Former Students to support scholarships, student organizations, financial aid, Aggie traditions, former student support, and more. The number of donations made during this time will be counted and the final result will be posted before the game.

The competition website will be posted soon.

Additional Events

More details about the weekend of events surrounding the renewed rivalry, including parking information, are available on the Lone Star Showdown website.