HOUSTON — A guy who attended college in Nebraska and another who went in California on Thursday morning talked about what’s good for college football in Texas.
What’s good? A lot of money, of course. Title sponsors. Building brands. Even Friday night football games.
Texas A&M Director of Athletics Trev Alberts (Nebraska) and Texas AD Chris Del Conte (UC-Santa Barbara) came to celebrate a three-year deal with Houston-based Cotton Holdings, Inc.
The company has agreed to be the title sponsor of the revived “Lone Star Showdown,” an athletic competition between the two universities in all sports. The winner presumably will be presented a trophy that’s likely to be used as a doorstop.
Frankly, an announcement via email would’ve sufficed. But a “dog and pony” show is tolerated — even celebrated — when big money is concerned.
TexAgs
Chris Del Conte and Trev Alberts pose with Cotton Holdings CEO Pete Bell as well as Executive VP Zinat Ahmed, a 2016 graduate of Texas A&M University.
So, the respective athletic directors were on hand to express gratitude, wax nostalgic and remind everyone just how important it is to the state of Texas that the A&M-Texas football series is resuming after a 12-year Cold War.
“I played a lot of football games,” Alberts said. “The rivalry games fit different. They just do. It’s a privilege and an honor to get to play in rivalry games like this.”
The rivalries aren’t limited to football. Basketball games will be intense. Baseball games will be fierce, especially after the Schlossnagle shenanigans of last June.
But there was no effort made by the athletic directors to hide the fact the football game matters most.
Del Conte even felt compelled to crack jokes about the renewed rivalry.
“It is going to be a neutral-site game,” he said. “It’s going to rotate between Dallas and Houston.”
Don’t worry. It’s not.
The Aggies and Longhorns will square off at Kyle Field on Nov. 30 for the first time since former Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds canceled the series in 2011.
Both athletic directors stressed the importance of the game. Alberts was even moved to recall the “respectful” rivalry his Nebraska Cornhuskers once had with Oklahoma.
Alberts has only been in College Station a few months, but he has been around Aggieland long enough to understand the rivalry with Texas won’t be respectful.
There’s too much history. Too much ire. Too many hard feelings.
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs
The last time Texas A&M met Texas on the gridiron was Nov. 24, 2011. The two will meet again at Kyle Field this November.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “I think I read about one SEC rivalry — Good Old-Fashioned Hate (Georgia vs. Georgia Tech). These are the things that college athletics and, particularly, the SEC are really rooted in.
“I think you embrace it. That’s great. That’s what drives the energy, the passion. What’s the alternative? I’d much rather have this than the alternative.”
Good point.
However, Alberts is interested in some alternatives.
For years, A&M and Texas played on Thanksgiving Day. On rare occasions, they played on Saturday, the traditional day of college football.
Alberts indicated he’d be interested in playing the game on Friday nights.
“I would not be surprised in the future that the game moves to Friday night,” he said. “Obviously, we work with our television partners, but I’m most interested in driving the Texas A&M brand.
“Remember, the NFL has gotten involved in different (television) windows. We want to this to be in the premier primetime window.
“It needs to be on Thanksgiving Day weekend, though.”
Agreed. A&M thrives on tradition. Tradition should be followed as closely as the new age of college football will allow.
A&M should end the regular season on Thanksgiving weekend against Texas.
“This is going to be great for the state of Texas and college football in general,” Alberts said. “It’s going to be great.”
