Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

DeadZip20 said:

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AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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I have your answer!

The Block T game has always been the last non conference game of the season. Usually that cupcake game is indeed in mid to late November so the corps is in As, but with the change of SEC scheduling, it came in October, so they were in Bs.

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From 1894 to 1990, cadets wore dress uniforms to all football games.
Beginning in early 1990s cadets began wearing class bs to games, and now that is considered traditional uniforms

DeadZip20 said:

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AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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I have your answer!

The Block T game has always been the last non conference game of the season. Usually that cupcake game is indeed in mid to late November so the corps is in As, but with the change of SEC scheduling, it came in October, so they were in Bs.

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This is definitely a solvable problem though, just wear As? It wasn't even that hot today

Nah no excuse. I remember being in dress uniforms for 90 degree games because of block T. Between that and the pitiful drill (and also talking with several cadets) it's gotten too soft. Thanks a lot quad moms.

It remained tradition at least one game to wear dress uniforms to the last conference game. Now we've thrown that away because it's "uncomfortable for cadets" #QuadMomsRuinedTheCorps

ABATTBQ87 said:

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DeadZip20 said:

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AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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I have your answer!

The Block T game has always been the last non conference game of the season. Usually that cupcake game is indeed in mid to late November so the corps is in As, but with the change of SEC scheduling, it came in October, so they were in Bs.

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From 1894 to 1990, cadets wore dress uniforms to all football games.
Beginning in early 1990s cadets began wearing class bs to games, and now that is considered traditional uniforms

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Yeah, I was referring to the modernish era of the corps for sure.

And im surprised we're still in Bs at the minimum when other academies and SMCs regularly wear their OCPs/camo to games. Seems like the corps could go that way eventually

Kyleg2020 said:

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It remained tradition at least one game to wear dress uniforms to the last conference game. Now we've thrown that away because it's "uncomfortable for cadets" #QuadMomsRuinedTheCorps

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Is this new/got a source...? The corps was indeed in alphas for the last 2 home games last year, South Carolina and Samford. In 2024 they were in alphas vs New Mexico state but went with winter Bs for whatever reason against the sips.

I believe this year is no different, theyll be in alphas for the veterans day game against UT.

Those of you who never knew the joy of Class A summers with long-sleeve shirts and ascots tightly pinned around your neck and to your t-shirt and underwear, worn in late August and September, don't know what you missed

(As an aside, out of curiosity, I checked the 1977-80 Aggielands; we didn't have any night games at Kyle during that time to spare us from the sun and heat. We did have a night home game at Rice Stadium against BYU in 1979.)

DCC80 said:

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Those of you who never knew the joy of Class A summers with long-sleeve shirts and ascots tightly pinned around your neck and to your t-shirt and underwear, worn in late August and September, don't know what you missed

(As an aside, out of curiosity, I checked the 1977-80 Aggielands; we didn't have any night games at Kyle during that time to spare us from the sun and heat. We did have a night home game at Rice Stadium against BYU in 1979.)

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Once again, The Fightin' Texas Aggies stole defeat from the jaws of victory,

ABATTBQ87 said:

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DeadZip20 said:

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AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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I have your answer!

The Block T game has always been the last non conference game of the season. Usually that cupcake game is indeed in mid to late November so the corps is in As, but with the change of SEC scheduling, it came in October, so they were in Bs.

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From 1894 to 1990, cadets wore dress uniforms to all football games.
Beginning in early 1990s cadets began wearing class bs to games, and now that is considered traditional uniforms

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mid-90's

I was about to ask what exactly was the summer class As. That sounds brutal.

DeadZip20 said:

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I was about to ask what exactly was the summer class As. That sounds brutal.

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Summer As were Long Sleeve shirt, tie, khaki trousers, bider with correct class braiding, belt w/class appropriate belt buckle, highly shined black low quarters w/heel and sole, and seniors wore highly shined senior boots.
Corps turds wore white gloves, bqs didnt, unlike today. Didn't hurt that our commandants were from the 40s and 50s and didn't prescribe to feelings

ABATTBQ87 said:

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Summer As were Long Sleeve shirt, tie, khaki trousers, bider with correct class braiding, belt w/class appropriate belt buckle, highly shined black low quarters w/heel and sole, and seniors wore highly shined senior boots.
Corps turds wore white gloves, bqs didnt, unlike today. Didn't hurt that our commandants were from the 40s and 50s and didn't prescribe to feelings

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Don't forget the tightly-pinned ascots (for CTs) and black ties (for BQs). I don't know what period that uniform was in effect. but I think the ascots were replaced by ties for CTs at some point before they started marching in Class Bs.

Like I said, you young uns have no idea of the fun you missed. First home game of 1976, as I recall, one of the wings (I think there were two that year) and the regiment had been issued new blue and red, respectively, ascots. It was so hot, and we sweated so much, that the colors bled through onto some cadets' uniform shirts. The brigade, with gray ascots, didn't have that problem. Being a fish in a new world, I never asked whether those shirts were completely trashed or the stains were dry-cleaned out.

ABATTBQ87 said:

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DeadZip20 said:

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I was about to ask what exactly was the summer class As. That sounds brutal.

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Summer As were Long Sleeve shirt, tie, khaki trousers, bider with correct class braiding, belt w/class appropriate belt buckle, highly shined black low quarters w/heel and sole, and seniors wore highly shined senior boots.
Corps turds wore white gloves, bqs didnt, unlike today. Didn't hurt that our commandants were from the 40s and 50s and didn't prescribe to feelings

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You're forgetting shined brass, they don't shine that anymore

BQ_90 said:

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ABATTBQ87 said:

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DeadZip20 said:

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I was about to ask what exactly was the summer class As. That sounds brutal.

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Summer As were Long Sleeve shirt, tie, khaki trousers, bider with correct class braiding, belt w/class appropriate belt buckle, highly shined black low quarters w/heel and sole, and seniors wore highly shined senior boots.
Corps turds wore white gloves, bqs didnt, unlike today. Didn't hurt that our commandants were from the 40s and 50s and didn't prescribe to feelings

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You're forgetting shined brass, they don't shine that anymore

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What.??? Thats unbelievable that brass isn't shined.

In my day, the switch from summers to winters (which it sounds like some here may be conflating with As and Bs) was at the SMU game, which was around the third Saturday in October. Before then, we wore Class A summers (long sleeves, ascots, gloves); after, we word Class A winters ("pinks and greens -- "pink" pants, green jackets, jackets, starched shirts underneath, ties, medals instead of ribbon bars).

DCC80 said:

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In my day, the switch from summers to winters (which it sounds like some here may be conflating with As and Bs) was at the SMU game, which was around the third Saturday in October. Before then, we wore Class A summers (long sleeves, ascots, gloves); after, we word Class A winters ("pinks and greens -- "pink" pants, green jackets, jackets, starched shirts underneath, ties, medals instead of ribbon bars).

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SMU game was either the last game of October or First Saturday of November.

SWC schedule was always
Tech
Uh
Baylor
Rice
SMU
Arkansas
TCU
tu

ABATTBQ87 said:

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BQ_90 said:

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ABATTBQ87 said:

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DeadZip20 said:

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I was about to ask what exactly was the summer class As. That sounds brutal.

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Summer As were Long Sleeve shirt, tie, khaki trousers, bider with correct class braiding, belt w/class appropriate belt buckle, highly shined black low quarters w/heel and sole, and seniors wore highly shined senior boots.
Corps turds wore white gloves, bqs didnt, unlike today. Didn't hurt that our commandants were from the 40s and 50s and didn't prescribe to feelings

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You're forgetting shined brass, they don't shine that anymore

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What.??? Thats unbelievable that brass isn't shined.

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I think they just wipe it off with windex

AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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Lots of uniform comments but none about the T.

I was in the North End Zone so it looked baaaaaad from my perspective.

HollywoodBQ said:

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AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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Lots of uniform comments but none about the T.

I was in the North End Zone so it looked baaaaaad from my perspective.

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Any other pictures or videos of the formation?

ABATTBQ87 said:

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HollywoodBQ said:

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AlexAggie20 said:

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Since when does the Corps do the block T in Bravos? Back in my day we were in Alphas every time. Is the Corps getting soft?

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Lots of uniform comments but none about the T.

I was in the North End Zone so it looked baaaaaad from my perspective.

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Any other pictures or videos of the formation?

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The Hollywood Bandsman is not wrong. The formation was rough.

I'm an '83, so my four football seasons were '79, '80, '81 and '82. I did not miss one home game during this span, and I do not recall us ever forming a Block T.

12th Man said:

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I'm an '83, so my four football seasons were '79, '80, '81 and '82. I did not miss one home game during this span, and I do not recall us ever forming a Block T.

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Texas Aggie, May 1, 1983

For the first time in a quarter century, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets formed a giant "T" on Kyle Field. The top of the gigantic symbol stretched from the 12-yard line to the 12-yard line. Aggie Mascot Reveille IV stands next to Corps Commander Mike Holmes '83 at the base of the "T". Photo by Griffis Smith, Educational Media Production Center

Six days before the 1983 Final Review- but for whatever reason, I wasn't there, because I don't remember this at all. I knew we never did a Block T during halftime of a game- and the Elephant Bowl was in April!

12th Man said:

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Six days before the 1983 Final Review- but for whatever reason, I wasn't there, because I don't remember this at all. I knew we never did a Block T during halftime of a game- and the Elephant Bowl was in April!

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I threw a TD pass in the 1987 Elephant Bowl for the BQ/AF team.

I don't recall a full-Corps block T on Kyle Field between 1976 and 1979.

But I do recall (hopefully correctly) that the first block T in some time was in the '78-'79 school year. As Corps ops sergeant, I helped ops officer Kirk Marchand '79 chalk the main drill field. I don't recall what the event was or why we did it, but I don't recall doing one in my first two years, and I seem to recall some talk of that Corps Staff "bringing back" the block T. I don't know the history before that.

DCC80 said:

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I don't recall a full-Corps block T on Kyle Field between 1976 and 1979.

But I do recall (hopefully correctly) that the first block T in some time was in the '78-'79 school year. As Corps ops sergeant, I helped ops officer Kirk Marchand '79 chalk the main drill field. I don't recall what the event was or why we did it, but I don't recall doing one in my first two years, and I seem to recall some talk of that Corps Staff "bringing back" the block T. I don't know the history before that.

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Was a picture taken on the main drill field?

ABATTBQ87 said:

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Was a picture taken on the main drill field?

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Well, I should have checked. The aerial photo on my wall says 1977-78, which was my fish year, obviously not my butt year. I misrembered, at least the part about bringing it back in 1978-79, unless there was a one-year hiatus.

The Corps of Cadets reinstituted the Corps Block T at football games in 2011 after over 50 years of not being conducted by the Corps consistently since 1956. There may have been "one offs" in the interim, but the Corps brought back the Block T at halftime of one game each season in 2011.

The first Block T in 2011 was formed going north-south, end zone to end zone, and it looked very bad. Since then the Block T has been formed east-west, sideline to sideline, similar to how the Corps used to form the Block T before 1956.

I don't know about any block Ts between 1956 and 2011, but they were apparently few and far between. The Corps never did a Block T at a football game in the late 70s, when I was a member of the Corps, although that was when the Corps "hump it" was first introduced, and that is what the Corps performs once the Block T is formed.

Beat the Hell Outta "Bama!"

ABATTBQ87 said:

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DCC80 said:

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I don't recall a full-Corps block T on Kyle Field between 1976 and 1979.

But I do recall (hopefully correctly) that the first block T in some time was in the '78-'79 school year. As Corps ops sergeant, I helped ops officer Kirk Marchand '79 chalk the main drill field. I don't recall what the event was or why we did it, but I don't recall doing one in my first two years, and I seem to recall some talk of that Corps Staff "bringing back" the block T. I don't know the history before that.

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Was a picture taken on the main drill field?

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Yes. As I recall the Cav arranged the horses to form the A and the M

https://spirit.txamfoundation.com/fall-2022/taking-shape.aspx



The Corps of Cadets formed the famous T during the 1974 Military Day Review ceremonies on Simpson Drill Field, marking its first appearance since 1956. Photo taken and provided by Jerry Cooper '63.
Planning typically begin

DCC80 said:

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Well, I should have checked. The aerial photo on my wall says 1977-78, which was my fish year, obviously not my butt year. I misrembered, at least the part about bringing it back in 1978-79, unless there was a one-year hiatus.

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Oops again. The 1977-78 photo would have been my pisshead year. The photo shows the Corps in Class A winters, so that would have been sometime between late October and spring break or thereabouts.

I'm now wondering whether that photo might depict the T that I helped chalk off on the drill field. I would have been tagged for Corps Staff sometime in mid- to late February. Kirk Marchand would have been the rising ops officer and would have been in charge of chalking the field, and I, as a rising sergebutt, would have had to help.

So I'm going to go with that -- a block T in the spring of '78.

I don't remember doing any others. If we did one my fish year, it was probably in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the University. I know we did a review on the drill field in early October as part of that celebration; whether we did a block T, I can't remember.

And we might have done one in 1978-79. That's just the sort of thing that CCC Bob Kamensky would have thought a great idea. But I don't remember having done one that year.

Likewise, I have no memory of one in the 1979-80 school year.