Texas AD says continuing series with Texas A&M is 'problematic'

By Erick Smith, USA TODAY

Updated 17m ago

Texas and Texas A&M have played in football every season since 1915. It sounds like this year's game in College Station will be the last between the schools.

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By Brendan Maloney, US Presswire

With the Aggies poised to leave next year for the SEC, the series would have to be a non-conference game, which is something the Longhorns don't seem interested in.Speaking to reporters about the future of the Big 12, Texas men's athletic director DeLoss Dodds said continuing the game traditionally played during the Thanksgiving holiday was unlikely.
"I think that's problematic because we're scheduled out," Dodds said. "Our nonconference schedule right now is three games, and one of those games is (part of a) home-and-home (series). Those are scheduled out with Notre Dame, Ole Miss ... USC. The other two games, we play at home – what we call 'buy games.' So I think it would be hard to schedule that game somewhere. I'm not saying it won't be scheduled. I'm just saying it's going to be difficult."
Finding a way to play a non-league game that late in the season isn't unprecedented. Florida-Florida State also meet on Thanksgiving weekend. However, it could be that Texas wants no part of A&M because of the decision to leave the Big 12 and go on their own.
The end of the series would be a loss for both schools. Texas A&M traditionally lit a bonfire on campus prior to the game to symbolize the school's burning desire to beat Texas. It stopped in 1999 when 12 people died after a collapse during the bonfire's contruction. The student do construct a smaller-scale bonfire off campus.
In the what appears to be their last trip to Austin for the forseeable future, the Aggies beat the Longhorns last season and knocked Texas out of a bowl game.
Dodds had an opportunity Wednesday to responded to criticism that Texas is making decisions that only benefit the school, including a non-negotiable stance on sharing revenue from its Longhorn Network with other Big 12 schools.
"We are who we are," Dodds said. "People say what they say. We're proud of ourselves."
Contributing: Steve Wieberg