College football is built on hate. Not the "I want to ruin your life" kind of hate, but the specific, deep-seated, generational loathing that makes a grown man in Austin refuse to wear a specific shade of maroon or a family in College Station saw off the horns of a mascot. For over a century, the Lone Star Showdown was the heartbeat of the state. Then, it just stopped. If you’re asking when was the last time ut played a&m, you’re likely feeling that weird void left in the schedule since 2011.
It was November 24, 2011. Thanksgiving night.
The setting was Kyle Field, and the atmosphere was basically a powder keg. Texas A&M was headed for the SEC, a move that felt like a messy divorce to everyone involved. The Longhorns were staying in the Big 12, acting like the jilted spouse who claimed they didn't care anyway. But everyone knew. This was it. The final stand. Case McCoy—not exactly the most heralded quarterback in Texas history—found a way to scramble 25 yards late in the game to set up a kick. Justin Tucker, who we now know as arguably the greatest kicker to ever live, stepped up. He drilled a 40-yard field goal as time expired.
Final score: Texas 27, Texas A&M 25.
The Longhorns walked off the field winners. The Aggies walked into a new era. And for over a decade, the greatest rivalry in Texas sports was mothballed because of pride, conference realignment, and a whole lot of administrative stubbornness.
The Long Hiatus and Why It Happened
Why did we have to wait so long? It’s a question that drives fans crazy. When A&M moved to the SEC, the "official" word from both sides was that the schedules were just too full. Honestly, that was a load of garbage. It was about politics.
Texas felt betrayed by A&M leaving the Big 12. A&M felt they were finally escaping the shadow of the Longhorn Network and Austin’s influence. So, they stopped talking. For years, if you wanted to see Texas play A&M, you had to hope for a random matchup in a baseball regional or a basketball tournament. On the gridiron? Silence.
This wasn't just a missed game. It was a missed cultural touchstone. Thanksgiving in Texas used to mean turkey, dressing, and the Horns vs. the Ags. Without it, the holiday felt a little bit quieter, a little less intense. We traded one of the most played rivalries in the country for "neutral site" games against random out-of-conference opponents that nobody actually cared about.
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The 2011 Game: A Closer Look at the Last Stand
That 2011 game wasn't just a win for Texas; it was a bizarre, emotional rollercoaster. Ryan Tannehill was under center for the Aggies. He was a future NFL starter, a guy with a pro arm. On the other side, Texas was struggling through the post-Colt McCoy era, trying to find an identity.
The game was ugly.
Penalties everywhere. Turnovers. But the tension? You could feel it through the television screen. When Justin Tucker’s kick went through the uprights, he did a literal "Hook 'em" sprint across the field. It was the ultimate "last word." For thirteen years, Longhorn fans used that kick as the ultimate scoreboard argument. Whenever an Aggie would brag about their success in the SEC, a Texas fan would simply point to 27-25.
It was a stalemate that lasted over 4,700 days.
The Changing Landscape of 2024 and 2025
Everything changed when Texas decided to follow A&M's lead. With the Longhorns moving to the SEC alongside Oklahoma, the wall finally crumbled. We don't have to wonder when was the last time ut played a&m in a theoretical sense anymore because the schedule-makers finally did what the fans demanded.
The rivalry officially renewed on November 30, 2024.
That game in College Station was everything people hoped for. It was loud. It was hostile. It proved that time doesn't heal all wounds; it just lets them fester until they're even more painful. Moving into 2025 and beyond, this game is once again the anchor of the regular season. The SEC realized what the Big 12 lost: you cannot manufacture this kind of history. You can't buy it with TV markets. You only get it by playing a game 118 times over a century.
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Why This Game Matters More Than Ever
In the new 12-team playoff era, the Texas vs. A&M game isn't just for bragging rights. It’s a gatekeeper game. Often, the winner is going to be playing for a spot in the SEC Championship or a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Think about the recruiting.
Texas is a recruiting hotbed. Every Friday night, high school stars are watching to see which program owns the state. For a decade, A&M had the "SEC" brand to sell alone. Now? They're on equal footing again. The battle for the 5-star offensive lineman from North Houston or the blazing fast receiver from West Texas happens on that field in late November.
Key Stats From the History of the Rivalry
If you’re looking for the hard numbers, the series history is actually more lopsided than people remember, though the recent decades were much tighter.
- Total Games Played: 119 (as of the 2024 meeting)
- All-Time Series Lead: Texas leads the series.
- The Longest Streak: Texas won 10 in a row between 1940 and 1949.
- The Shutout Era: Early in the 1900s, it wasn't uncommon for one team to just completely blank the other. In 1915, A&M won 13-0. In 1916, Texas won 21-7.
The 1990s were particularly heated. R.C. Slocum had A&M rolling, and Mack Brown arrived in Austin to flip the script. Those games featured legends like Ricky Williams and Dat Nguyen. If you didn't grow up watching those two go at it, you missed out on the peak of Big 12 physicality.
Misconceptions About the Rivalry
People often think the "breakup" was one-sided. It wasn't. There is plenty of blame to go around.
Some say Texas refused to play A&M out of spite. Others say A&M wanted to "build their own brand" away from Austin. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Both administrations were stubborn. Both were focused on the short-term financial gains of realignment rather than the long-term health of the sport's traditions.
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Another misconception? That the rivalry "died."
Ask anyone in a Texas bar on a Saturday in October. Even when they weren't playing, Aggies were checking the Texas score to see if they lost. Longhorns were doing the same to the Aggies. The hate didn't go away; it just didn't have a scoreboard to settle it.
What to Expect Moving Forward
The SEC has been smart about this. They know the value of "Hate Week." Expect the game to stay on that Thanksgiving weekend slot. It belongs there. It’s the rightful place for a game that divides households across the state.
We’re also seeing a shift in how the teams are built. Both programs are spending obscene amounts of money on facilities and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). This isn't just about who has the better coach; it's about which university can mobilize its alumni base more effectively.
Navigating the Future of the Rivalry
If you're heading to a game soon, or just following along, here is how to handle the new era of the Lone Star Showdown:
- Plan your travel early. Hotels in College Station and Austin for that weekend are booked out a year in advance. Literally.
- Understand the stakes. This isn't just a conference game. It’s the game that determines who gets to talk trash at the office for the next 364 days.
- Respect the traditions. Whether it's the Midnight Yell or the lighting of the Tower, these things matter to people. Don't be that person who mocks them without understanding the weight behind them.
- Watch the lines. Betting on this game is a fool’s errand. Throw the records out. In 2011, A&M was the better team on paper, and they still lost at home.
The question of when was the last time ut played a&m used to be a sad reminder of what we lost. Now, it's just a trivia point. The rivalry is back, it's louder than ever, and it's exactly what college football needed. The "hiatus" is a dark chapter in the history books, but the new volume is currently being written in blood, sweat, and a whole lot of burnt orange and maroon.
Next Steps for Fans:
To stay ahead of the next matchup, you should download the official SEC app to monitor ticket releases and kickoff times, as the "Flex" scheduling often moves these high-profile games between afternoon and primetime slots. Additionally, if you're looking for historical context, watch the "30 for 30" style documentaries on the 2011 game to see just how much raw emotion was on that field during the final seconds of the Justin Tucker era. Bookmark the university athletic sites for both schools now, as season ticket holders get first dibs on the limited away-game allotments, which are more competitive than they've been in twenty years.