If UT and OU move their game to rivalry week - I think the likelihood is over 50% - I wonder what happens to the annual game at the Cotton Bowl for the state fair.
Texas Tech vs Houston was one of my first thoughts, but don’t think they would go for it (and their Houston fans may want that game in Houston)
Texas Tech vs Oklahoma State seems the most likely.
Maybe the conference can make it a rotating game. Maybe a “Southwest Conference Classic” between the conference’s five former SWC members. It would be a cool game to play once every few years.
I’d be cool with that, but I would guess that a revived UT v. aTm series will take place on “rivalry” week, with the UT v. OU game remaining where it is.
We’ll see. Thinking about it from every school’s point of view:
A&M - I think they’re happy to be out from the shadow of big brother and like playing someone else that week.
LSU - Prefers A&M to going back to playing Arkansas that week
UT - Knows that the only way to top LSU vs A&M is by playing OU. (The alternative, if A&M-LSU keep the game, is Arkansas)
OU - Probably doesn’t want to commit to annual game against oSu. Main alternative to playing UT that week is likely playing Missouri. Not a great look while everybody else is playing real rivalry games.
We give up a home game every other year? I’d be OK with that provided we can buy a home game every other year to make up for it. And then years where we also have a kickoff game…we’ll I’m not sure if we would be able to buy a second home game.
Mathematically it’s every 2.5 years since it’s five teams (oSu is the fifth). I assume we would not be doing that and a kickoff classic on the same year.
I’d be shocked. It’s a money maker for them, UT has A&M on rival weekend anyway. I imagine that makes more sense for the SEC to lean into than LSU-A&M when they can simply slot LSU-Arky back to it. Nobody cares about Arkansas-Mizzou that way and OU can either get Bedlam that week as non-con or get Mizzou.
Tradeoffs:
OU-Mizzou equal or better than Ark-Mizzou and both worse than Bedlam.
UT-A&M better than LSU-A&M
LSU-Ark equal to LSU-A&M
No reason to mess with a spotlight game in mid-October with as much specatacle as that one has.
As far as neutral site games go I know BU-Tech played at Jerryworld for about a decade there. I don’t know how much of an appetite there is for a neutral site game and much less at the Cotton Bowl since BU-Tech tried both and then scheduled the rest at Jerryworld.
While neutral site games in general are not a great idea unless you’re a big program, I see potential value in a game in that stadium in that window due to the fair. It’s pretty much the only circumstance where I would want to play a neutral site game there.
Regarding UT-A&M, we’ll see. So far it seems like reviving that is something the fans assume but the actual decision-makers have seemed lukewarm on.
I could totally see this happening if UT-A&M-OU preferences run a specific way. If A&M wants to keep playing LSU and UT wants to play OU that week and is open to keeping a neutral site game, it’s practically a no-brainer.
Could also try something with G5 programs. Wouldn’t garner nearly as much interest but it’s not as though the opportunity costs of a lost home game for SMU or UTSA or whoever would be that high.
Aggies for all their talk of escaping UT… Would sell Mike the Tiger to Joe Exotic to get that game back. I’d be floored if changing OU-TU is even up for discussion.
No to any annual conference game in Dallas. I’m not willing to give up a conference home game. If the State Fair wants us then it needs to be a nationally important in season showcase. Think LSU, Alabama, Michigan, or Notre Dame.