College football took a massive blow on Wednesday afternoon, as the Ivy League announced they would be canceling all fall sports. The league also said they will not consider bringing back any sort of athletic events until January 1, 2021.
The difference between leagues such as the Ivy League and the Big 12 is there is much more money at stake. Power Five universities throughout the country depend on football revenue to keep other Olympic sports afloat.
Because of this, conference commissioners and school athletic directors have been searching for answers as to how they can still have a football season but in a safe manner.
A topic that has been discussed is only playing games within your conference or in close proximity. For Texas, a regular Big 12 schedule would do, playing a round-robin of the nine teams in the conference. The Longhorns’ first three games against South Florida, LSU, and UTEP would all be canceled.
What if schools were allowed to play teams within a certain mileage of each other though? With airplanes and hotels possibly off the board, teams would need to be able to travel via bus, so they can return to their hometowns within the same day.
If only there was a former rival within 115 miles who would not only need to fill three matchups, but four…
Yes, I am talking about the Texas A&M Aggies, a team Texas has been bickering with since the end of the on the field rivalry in 2011. A bitter, bitter rivalry which dates back to 1903, the Longhorns and Aggies have been back and forth with the idea of playing each other on the football field.
With close proximity to each other and the need to fill weekends with games, COVID-19 could renew the Lone Star Showdown.
Texas A&M’s non-conference schedule consists of Abilene Christian, North Texas, Colorado, and Fresno State. The Buffaloes and Bulldogs are both nearly 1,000 miles away and would not be deemed safe to play.
It would take some working around the schedule, but if the two teams could agree to a one-off game, it would be the most important matchup of the season for both schools.
On the field, it would finally put to rest the constant comparisons between Tom Herman-Jimbo Fisher, Sam Ehlinger-Kellen Mond. Both of the duos were listed among the top five according to ESPN. Not to mention other in-state recruits the two have fought for. It would all be settled on the field with the winner having bragging rights until the next matchup.
From a financial perspective, it would bode well for both schools, especially if the state of Texas continues to allow 50% attendance at stadiums. Wherever the game occurred, it would sell out in minutes, if not seconds.
TV networks would fight for the opportunity to broadcast the game as ratings would more than likely be higher than normal. Not only in the state of Texas but people throughout the country who are desperate for entertainment via sports.
Choosing a venue would create a problem, however, as neither Texas nor Texas A&M are going to want to give in to each other and go on the road. Even neutral-site venues have been determined to be unsafe, as games such as Northwestern vs Wisconsin at Wrigley Field have been canceled and moved to a home game for the Wildcats.
A long shot at best, it would be amazing to finally renew this rivalry. Even without the coronavirus, it seems as if it will be at least another decade before Texas and Texas A&M will meet on the gridiron, unless it is a New Year’s Six bowl or a College Football Playoff semi-final game.
For now, football is happening in the Big 12 and the SEC. What it will look like, we do not know. If there is a scenario where Texas and Texas A&M can find a way to play each other, it would be a bright spot during this pandemic.
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