A&M said that they declined the offer because the school is already booked 10 years outGETTY IMAGES
Texas A&M AD Scott Woodward has "turned down an offer" from Texas AD Chris Del Conte to "schedule a home-and-home football series" between the two schools, according to the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Del Conte last night "confirmed that he did talk" with Woodward about restarting the rivalry. He noted an opening was created after Ohio State, which had a "home-and-home series" with UT set for '22 and '23, looked to break the deal after a "chance to play Notre Dame" came up. That led Del Conte to ask if A&M "had an opening on the schedule," but he was informed that the school was already "playing a home-and-home" with Miami those two years. UT ended up signing a deal with Alabama for those years (DALLASNEWS.com, 8/22). Woodward said he declined the offer because A&M is already "booked 10 years out." Woodward: "[Del Conte] had an opening at the time, and it suited him, but it didn't suit us." However, in Houston, Brent Zwerneman writes anyone who follows college football "knows bookings can be and have been reshuffled or dropped altogether, so there's more at play than simply filling schedules far in advance and then standing pat." If a big-time program "wants to make a game happen, it can make it happen." UT and A&M last played in '11 before A&M moved to the SEC, and Zwerneman notes he "wouldn't expect" the series to return "anytime soon." A&M does not believe they "need the old rivalry renewed" with the schedule they annually face in the SEC West (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/23).
GIVE & TAKE: The AP's Ralph Russo noted in the CFP era, the "emphasis on strength of schedule is greater than ever." But while fans "clamor for more matchups between top teams, much of what goes into scheduling is only tangentially related to the potential quality of the game." Del Conte wants UT's three-game non-conference slate to "include a home-and-home series against what he calls a 'historical power.'" UT will "complete a series" against USC this season and has "future deals with LSU, Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State." UT will also "buy one guarantee game against a Group of Five opponent." Del Conte said that he "prefers Texas not playing FCS teams." He also said that the third game would "ideally provide fans with an appealing home contest in years when that 'historical power' opponent is played on the road." Del Conte: "[Your] whole nonconference schedule is weighted with trying to give your team the ability to go to the CFP and two also balancing the fact you want to have a great home schedule that you're asking your fans to spend their discretionary income on" (AP, 8/22).
