The Texas Longhorns are heading to the SEC. Perhaps the most exciting part of the move isn’t the conference prestige or donning the SEC logo patch, but reuniting with two of its three biggest rivals.
The Longhorns will face the Texas A&M Aggies and Arkansas Razorbacks in 2024. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian highlighted that fact as reason why he’s so excited for his team’s move to the new conference.
“There was so much talk about realignment,” Sarkisian said. “For us, we gained two rivals back. We’re playing Arkansas & Texas A&M again. We’re looking forward to it. I’m sure they are too.”
The Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry that meant so much to football in the state, is back. If there’s anything that both fanbases might share besides animus for the other program, it’s excitement to bring back the rivalry. The biggest in-state matchup in Texas returns on Nov. 30.
Similarly, Arkansas adds another former Southwest Conference rivalry to Texas’ schedule. Some might not be old enough to realize the two teams battled each other for national championships in the 1960s. The Razorbacks won it all in 1964 handing the Longhorns (10-1) their only loss. Texas went on to defeat the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Bear Bryant in the Cotton Bowl that season. Five years later Texas beat Arkansas for a title in 1969.
The games still matter. They might bear more significance with all the teams in the same conference for the first time since the 1990s. Texas will look to win the first games of the renewed rivalries in the new look SEC.
Texas' Steve Sarkisian on joining A&M in SEC: "There was so much talk about realignment. For us, we gained two rivals back. We're playing Arkansas & Texas A&M again. We're looking forward to it (A&M). I'm sure they are too."
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 28, 2024