College football finally arrived in Texas on November 30, 1893, when two schools took to the gridiron on Thanksgiving Day in the Lone Star State:
(1) The Austin College Kangaroos, who defeated a visiting Dallas squad in Sherman.
(2) The University of Texas Longhorns, who defeated a local Dallas squad in Dallas.
In Aggieland, they were not pleased with the exclusion. The Texas A&M Battalion newspaper staff made their thoughts known the very next day. From “The Batt” on December 1, 1893:
“That A&M has one of the most splendid fields in the state for all outdoor sports is not to be disputed. The team to represent [A&M] should come to the conclusion that it is time for some match games. A game will perhaps be arranged with Austin College at Sherman.”
But that AC-A&M game did not take place. Austin College Trustees disapproved of this new 1893 sport and banned play in 1894. That ban was mentioned in the 1894 Galveston Daily News, reporting on a potential Longhorn game at Austin College:
“A challenge has been received [at Austin College] from the [University of Texas] football team, asking for a game. Austin College has a good football team and has been wanting for some time to meet the [University of Texas]. But the executive committee of our college has passed a rule forbidding the team to play match games, which kills the [Longhorn] game at Austin College.”
So, the Texas Longhorns instead went looking for another opponent in 1894. They found one in Texas A&M. The Aggies traveled to Austin to face UT on October 19, 1894. It was the first of 118 meetings between the schools, a rivalry which has defined much of our lives. That rivalry returns after a 13-year hiatus this Saturday. Naturally, on a yet another November 30th.
Little Austin College is always an extra in the big movie that is the state of Texas. But AC has always been there, playing our historic role. That role includes the UT-A&M football rivalry. For the origin of that rivalry is, amazingly enough, due to both Aggie frustration with AC fielding a team in 1893 and Longhorn frustration with AC refusing to field a team in 1894.
Enjoy the game Lone Star State football fans. Austin College is pleased we were able to facilitate the birth of this renewed rivalry 130 years ago. On behalf of all Roos, you are welcome.
