DESTIN, Fla. — Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said Tuesday at the SEC spring meetings the Aggies consider Texas their primary rival — why A&M would want to play the Longhorns annually if the Southeastern Conference adopts a scheduling model with a lone “permanent” rival.
“When Texas comes into the thing of course you’d want Texas, because that’s the traditional rival and the things you have,” Fisher said of UT exiting the Big 12 and entering the SEC in a little more than a year. “But there are a lot of great ones in the SEC, too. … LSU has become a great rivalry for us right there. But as you go traditional rivalries of A&M, you would probably say Texas.”
The only problem is Texas and fellow SEC newbie Oklahoma have chosen each other as permanent rivals should the SEC adopt the eight-game format. That setup (eight SEC games, four nonconference games) features seven rotating SEC opponents and the lone annual rival, while the nine-game format (nine SEC games, three nonconference games) features six rotating SEC opponents and three annual rivals.
Told UT wouldn’t pick A&M in the eight-game setup, Fisher shrugged and said, “That’s fine with me.”
He added, “Listen, we’re not going to live our life worried about Texas. You know what I’m saying? We’re going to live our life worrying about A&M and what’s best for A&M. That’s great and has nothing to do with them.
“They’re a great school and they do what they need to do and we need to do what we need to do.”
SEC presidents could decide on a scheduling model by week’s end here along Florida’s Emerald Coast. One thing is certain: The Aggies and Longhorns rivalry will live on, regardless of the ultimate format and whether the old Southwest Conference and Big 12 foes play each other every year or every other year.
A&M and UT have not played in football since November 2011, once the Aggies exited the Big 12 for the SEC in the summer of 2012.