Bill seeks to require annual UT vs. A&M football game

by Reeve Hamilton of The Texas Tribune

The tradition ended when A&M moved to the SEC.

Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Texas Longhorns cornerback Eddie Aboussie (23) breaks up a pass intended for Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Jeff Fuller (8) in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field in November 2011. The annual A&M vs. UT game tradition died when A&M went to the SEC, but a bill could bring it back.

A bill that would require the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to face each other on the football field every year was filed on Monday by state Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City.

The two flagship universities had a longstanding football rivalry, playing each other every year from 1914 until this past season. That all came to an end in 2012 following A&M's move to the Southeastern Conference.

"This game is as much a Texas tradition as cowboy boots and barbeque," Guillen, an A&M graduate, said. "The purpose of the bill is to put the eyes of Texas upon our two greatest universities to restore this sacred Texas tradition."

House Bill 778, as filed, does not specify when the game should occur, but it does offer a penalty should it fail to happen: Whichever institution refused to participate in the showdown would suffer restrictions on its athletic scholarships.

Guillen, an A&M graduate, said it was too early to tell whether the legislation had a shot, but he said it was important to begin a dialogue about restoring the annual tradition.

"I think the people of Texas want a game, and we're trying to get them one," he said.