This is from Aggie War Hymn (Texas A&M fight song) which was written formalized into it's current form in 1920:
"Good bye texas university
So long to the orange and the white
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys who show the real old fight
"the eyes of Texas are upon you"
That is the song they sing so well
So good bye to texas university
We're gonna beat you all to…"
(Note: The Eyes of Texas is UT's alma mater)
This is from "Texas Fight" (University of Texas's fight song) which was made as response to the Aggies fight song:
"Texas Fight, Texas Fight, And it's goodbye to A&M."
These two schools valued the rivalry enough to put each other in their fight songs. They have played each other 117 times, the 3rd longest series on college football history. The game is always on a traditional date and usually the last game of the regular season (won't be this year thanks to scheduling after Thanksgiving).
These two should be in a conference together but they are about to leave each other and their annual game will probably disappear. Why? Depending on your side, you can pick because of a stupid network that is hardly going to be watched most the year, because of jealousy and wanting to stick it to their rival, or both sides could argue money.
I don't care whose to blame in the end though, the history is rich enough and rewards of separating small enough that they should have both been willing to bend over backwards to stay together. Make whatever arguments you want against the other school, but this is a sad day in college football when these two are willing separate. This is even sadder than Penn State-Pitt because this isn't just a case of joining separate conferences, but actively trying to get away from each other.
They are basically taking a huge dump on the fan's and alum's heads. It is just sad that the so called "amateur" athletics in the NCAA are throwing everything in the crapper for a few extra bucks. It really makes the casual fan disgusted at the whole thing and just want to watch the NFL. At least they're not trying to pretend to be amateurs.
Good points ohio1317. What you say is true - it is disappointing - however; this has all evolved simply because of greed.
I'm sure the rivalry will live on in the non-conference schedule. You can still put it at the end of the year. Clemson-South Carolina among others seem to make it work.
there is a difference between a rivalry on the field and being coupled to an institution that has an unfair advantage over yours.
What is sad about college athletics is that it is turning into a place where pure corporate greed has completely taken over. All this ridiculous expansion to 16 teams is about pure greed pure and simple. B1G and SEC got ahead because they are able to attract the most money. PAC-12 just joined the gang and they are showing their power by dropping "we gonna expand at some point" threat to rest of the college conferences.
It really is turning ugly. Rivalries are killed and fans be damned. There is nothing regional about anything anymore and it is all about the mighty dollars. SEC is turning into a semi-pro conference and rest of the D1A programs are quickly going that direction as well. I have no idea if there is anything to stop it, but things are out of control at this point.
As a fan of a school who no longer plays its fierce in-state rival, it sucks but eventually you both get over it. We also each had derogatory references to each other in our fight songs - except that in our case it was unofficial - and that was great. However time marches on and there will be new traditions to forge with a whole new set of rivals. Like the SEC, A&M takes its football pretty damn seriously so I'm sure that it won't be too long before the Ags are up to their neck in rivals.
For my school (Pitt), losing that 100 year-old Penn State series - which was WAY more competitive than the Texas/Texas A&M series - it had a positive impact on the Pitt/WVU rivalry.
*For the record, the Pitt/Penn State series stands at 50-42-4 in favor of the Nittany Lions. Conversely the Texas/Texas A&M series stands at 75-37-5 in favor of the Longhorns.
Before Penn State abruptly cancelled our century old series the Backyard Brawl was a lot less important to most Pitt fans than the Penn State game - which was everything. In fact it was no contest whatsoever. However once PSU decided to no longer play Pitt, our fans began to look at West Virginia in a whole different light and I think that has intensified that rivalry to heights it had never before reached. It was always a much bigger game for them than it was us but now it is THE game for both sets of fans and that's fun too.
I'm sure that will happen for A&M as well. They'll miss their annual games versus Texas but they will also rekindle their rivalry with Arkansas and I'm sure that the A&M/LSU series will become a fierce annual game. Also, given Texas' history of political intereference into college athletics it would not surprise me one bit to see the Texas state legislature mandate that the two schools play every year. That has not happened in PA and as a result we don't play Penn State in almost anything and certainly not in football or mens' basketball.
(08-15-2011 01:21 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote: [ -> ]I'm sure that will happen for A&M as well. They'll miss their annual games versus Texas but they will also rekindle their rivalry with Arkansas and I'm sure that the A&M/LSU series will become a fierce annual game. Also, given Texas' history of political intereference into college athletics it would not surprise me one bit to see the Texas state legislature mandate that the two schools play every year. That has not happened in PA and as a result we don't play Penn State in almost anything and certainly not in football or mens' basketball.
Even if A&M and UT continue to play every year, it probably won't be during Thanksgiving week. The SEC will want to have A&M-LSU or A&M-Arkansas that weekend. If Mizzou also joins, they'll have A&M-LSU and Arkansas-Missouri that weekend.
(08-15-2011 12:40 PM)ohio1317 Wrote: [ -> ]This is from Aggie War Hymn (Texas A&M fight song) which was written formalized into it's current form in 1920:
"Good bye texas university
So long to the orange and the white
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys who show the real old fight
"the eyes of Texas are upon you"
That is the song they sing so well
So good bye to texas university
We're gonna beat you all to…"
(Note: The Eyes of Texas is UT's alma mater)
This is from "Texas Fight" (University of Texas's fight song) which was made as response to the Aggies fight song:
"Texas Fight, Texas Fight, And it's goodbye to A&M."
These two schools valued the rivalry enough to put each other in their fight songs. They have played each other 117 times, the 3rd longest series on college football history. The game is always on a traditional date and usually the last game of the regular season (won't be this year thanks to scheduling after Thanksgiving).
These two should be in a conference together but they are about to leave each other and their annual game will probably disappear. Why? Depending on your side, you can pick because of a stupid network that is hardly going to be watched most the year, because of jealousy and wanting to stick it to their rival, or both sides could argue money.
I don't care whose to blame in the end though, the history is rich enough and rewards of separating small enough that they should have both been willing to bend over backwards to stay together. Make whatever arguments you want against the other school, but this is a sad day in college football when these two are willing separate. This is even sadder than Penn State-Pitt because this isn't just a case of joining separate conferences, but actively trying to get away from each other.
They can play each other OOC every year if they choose. Georgia Tech and Georgia have been in different conferences for 48 years but still play every year. They can work this out.
Not only do they lose the historic series with Texas but they also lose the Battle of the Brazos series with Baylor that has been going on since 1899. The rivalry was so heated in the 1920's that the Aggie Corps of Cadets attacked a truck full of Baylor women during the half-time homecoming parade which incited a riot. Students from both schools used metal folding chairs and planks of wood as weapons. One A&M student was killed due to a blow to the head. The rivalry between the two schools has heated up again over the past 4-5 years in multiple sports.
If you think about it the BCS and ESPN have ruined college athletics. They have destroyed rivalries, and alienated fan bases all in the name of money. Conferences should be setup geographically.
(08-15-2011 03:07 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote: [ -> ]If you think about it the BCS and ESPN have ruined college athletics. They have destroyed rivalries, and alienated fan bases all in the name of money. Conferences should be setup geographically.
Funny that you blame ESPN and the BCS and not the schools themselves. The BCS was created by the schools. ESPN is just trying to make some money don't blame them because our schools prefer money to anything else we talk about. If ours schools cared about it things could be just the same as before even with places begging to give us money. The Ivy league is proof of this though unfortunately for our schools we don't get the money and prestige they do and so we are far more tempted to get money from things like athletics.
(08-15-2011 01:34 PM)BaylorFerg Wrote: [ -> ]Not only do they lose the historic series with Texas but they also lose the Battle of the Brazos series with Baylor that has been going on since 1899. The rivalry was so heated in the 1920's that the Aggie Corps of Cadets attacked a truck full of Baylor women during the half-time homecoming parade which incited a riot. Students from both schools used metal folding chairs and planks of wood as weapons. One A&M student was killed due to a blow to the head. The rivalry between the two schools has heated up again over the past 4-5 years in multiple sports.
Cry me a river. Baylor left behind four SWC schools for the Big 12. Now you're just having to take what you once dished out.
(08-15-2011 03:17 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:07 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote: [ -> ]If you think about it the BCS and ESPN have ruined college athletics. They have destroyed rivalries, and alienated fan bases all in the name of money. Conferences should be setup geographically.
Funny that you blame ESPN and the BCS and not the schools themselves. The BCS was created by the schools. ESPN is just trying to make some money don't blame them because our schools prefer money to anything else we talk about. If ours schools cared about it things could be just the same as before even with places begging to give us money. The Ivy league is proof of this though unfortunately for our schools we don't get the money and prestige they do and so we are far more tempted to get money from things like athletics.
Saying ESPN was just trying to make some money is like a kid saying, "
I didn't know the gun was loaded." It doesn't fly, dude...
(08-15-2011 03:17 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:07 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote: [ -> ]If you think about it the BCS and ESPN have ruined college athletics. They have destroyed rivalries, and alienated fan bases all in the name of money. Conferences should be setup geographically.
Funny that you blame ESPN and the BCS and not the schools themselves. The BCS was created by the schools. ESPN is just trying to make some money don't blame them because our schools prefer money to anything else we talk about. If ours schools cared about it things could be just the same as before even with places begging to give us money. The Ivy league is proof of this though unfortunately for our schools we don't get the money and prestige they do and so we are far more tempted to get money from things like athletics.
Good pt...it takes two (or more) to tango...and all the schools chase the all mightly $$$$$.
SWC was a nice, tight fit geographical conf that consisted of all TX schools plus 1 from Arkansas...but the big schools wanted MORE $$$$...so Arkansas bolted for the SEC...then a few years later, the remaining Big 4 (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor) left behind SMU, RCU, Rice and Houston to basically "go suck wind" as they jumped ship to help form the Big 12.
(08-15-2011 03:26 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:17 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:07 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote: [ -> ]If you think about it the BCS and ESPN have ruined college athletics. They have destroyed rivalries, and alienated fan bases all in the name of money. Conferences should be setup geographically.
Funny that you blame ESPN and the BCS and not the schools themselves. The BCS was created by the schools. ESPN is just trying to make some money don't blame them because our schools prefer money to anything else we talk about. If ours schools cared about it things could be just the same as before even with places begging to give us money. The Ivy league is proof of this though unfortunately for our schools we don't get the money and prestige they do and so we are far more tempted to get money from things like athletics.
Saying ESPN was just trying to make some money is like a kid saying, "I didn't know the gun was loaded." It doesn't fly, dude...
It totally does what he is saying is like saying that you don't get upset at the adult for leaving the gun loaded (or where the kid can get to it or whatever). You don't blame the gun. You get angry at the people involved unless it is the guns direct fault (as in the gun fails and blows up then it is the manufacturers fault).
You can be upset at the BCS and ESPN but not including the schools themselves is giving them a free pass. The schools want the money as much as ESPN wants to give it away and the fans overall want both. There is more going on than a simple blame ESPN conveys. If it wasn't ESPN it will be something else. ESPN is not the problem the desire for money is if you don't like how this turned out.
(08-15-2011 03:21 PM)moron Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 01:34 PM)BaylorFerg Wrote: [ -> ]Not only do they lose the historic series with Texas but they also lose the Battle of the Brazos series with Baylor that has been going on since 1899. The rivalry was so heated in the 1920's that the Aggie Corps of Cadets attacked a truck full of Baylor women during the half-time homecoming parade which incited a riot. Students from both schools used metal folding chairs and planks of wood as weapons. One A&M student was killed due to a blow to the head. The rivalry between the two schools has heated up again over the past 4-5 years in multiple sports.
Cry me a river. Baylor left behind four SWC schools for the Big 12. Now you're just having to take what you once dished out.
Those 4 were not wanted by the Big 8. SMU had NCAA issues that they were dealing with at the time, Houston had no fan base, and TCU was practically irrelevant the final 25 years of the SWC. The four schools that got left behind because they were not desirable from a league or TV perspective. Baylor and Tech used their political power to make sure that Texas didn't go to the PAC-10 and A&M didn't go to the SEC at the time. The Big 8 offered up 4 spots and it went Texas, A&M, Baylor and Tech got in at the last spot. Had TCU made it in they would most likely have been facing the same results as Baylor. I love how all of the hate for the SWC conference break up seems to land at Baylor's feet when there were 3 other Texas schools just as guilty.
(08-15-2011 03:45 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:26 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:17 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2011 03:07 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote: [ -> ]If you think about it the BCS and ESPN have ruined college athletics. They have destroyed rivalries, and alienated fan bases all in the name of money. Conferences should be setup geographically.
Funny that you blame ESPN and the BCS and not the schools themselves. The BCS was created by the schools. ESPN is just trying to make some money don't blame them because our schools prefer money to anything else we talk about. If ours schools cared about it things could be just the same as before even with places begging to give us money. The Ivy league is proof of this though unfortunately for our schools we don't get the money and prestige they do and so we are far more tempted to get money from things like athletics.
Saying ESPN was just trying to make some money is like a kid saying, "I didn't know the gun was loaded." It doesn't fly, dude...
It totally does what he is saying is like saying that you don't get upset at the adult for leaving the gun loaded (or where the kid can get to it or whatever). You don't blame the gun. You get angry at the people involved unless it is the guns direct fault (as in the gun fails and blows up then it is the manufacturers fault).
You can be upset at the BCS and ESPN but not including the schools themselves is giving them a free pass. The schools want the money as much as ESPN wants to give it away and the fans overall want both. There is more going on than a simple blame ESPN conveys. If it wasn't ESPN it will be something else. ESPN is not the problem the desire for money is if you don't like how this turned out.
What he's saying is that collusion between ESPN and a few conferences, at the expense of everyone else, is destroying all that's good in college football. ESPN is the manufacturer, the parent, and the irresponsible kid - all rolled into one, Sultan. Trying to get people to believe otherwise is stupid, because it ain't true...
Quote:The Big 8 offered up 4 spots and it went Texas, A&M, Baylor and Tech got in at the last spot.
Wow..revisionist history at its finest....
The Big 8 didn't want Tech or Baylor. They were forced to take them as Lt Governor Bob Bullock's (BU/TT grad) price for getting A&M and Texas.
(08-15-2011 04:04 PM)10thMountain Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:The Big 8 offered up 4 spots and it went Texas, A&M, Baylor and Tech got in at the last spot.
Wow..revisionist history at its finest....
The Big 8 didn't want Tech or Baylor. They were forced to take them as Lt Governor Bob Bullock's (BU/TT grad) price for getting A&M and Texas.
They should have turned it down. If they had, the Big8 would still be intact...