Paul Finebaum discusses renewed rivalry between Texas, Texas A&M

Paul Finebaum and Billy Liucci discuss the bizarre insistence that Texas should first play Texas A&M at Kyle Field.

Texas A&M is making unreasonable demands and counting on Texas and the SEC to cave. We’ve discussed what the team is asking for at length. The Aggies want to host consecutive home matchups against the Longhorns.

TexAgs executive editor and co-owner Billy Liucci joined the Paul Finebaum show to discuss what the Aggies are expecting from the SEC when the schedule is unveiled.

“(Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork) has drawn his line in the sand that the first game is going to be played right here across the street at Kyle Field. Chris Del Conte acts like he’s not aware of that at all.”

Finebaum then asked Luicci if the insistence on playing Texas at home first was because of frustration with the Longhorns joining the league. Luicci concurred, saying:

“It’s almost like, hey, you owe us one after all that. And I don’t think that the SEC would think of it that way, … but it sure seems to me like the A&M athletic director has been led to believe … or even told … that first game is going to be there.”

The SEC certainly isn’t going to feel indebted to a team to which it threw a life raft ahead of the 2012 expansion of the conference. If anything, the league probably wants to pacify A&M and allow the school to feel it has some control.

One thing is for sure: Texas A&M isn’t the only SEC school in Texas now. Given the trajectory of each program and regardless of where the first game is played, you have to like the Longhorns chances when the rivalry resumes.