118 years and finished?

Dead forever? Texas A&M & Texas game may never return — Kevin Sumlin seesOklahoma-Nebraska repeat

New Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin would not be surprised if no one ever sees A&Mand the University of Texas ever square off again.
Kevin Sumlin

All those who assume that Texas A&M and the University of Texas will resume the best rivalry in college football after a few year cooling-off period could be in for a huge surprise.

Kevin Sumlin — Texas A&M's new coach — is not sure it will ever return.

"I grew up watching, on the same day, Michigan and Ohio State and Nebraska-Oklahoma," Sumlin said while in Houston for the Bear Bryant Awards, benefitting the American Heart Association. "Now there's no Nebraska-Oklahoma and nobody even talks about it anymore.

"It's almost been forgotten."

Sumlin could see the same thing happening to Texas-Texas A&M, as crazy as it might sound to anyone whose family has grown up around the game, generation after generation. The former University of Houston coach knows the game is "good for the state of Texas."

"It's good for the people of Texas. It's good for the state of Texas," Sumlin said of A&M-UT. "You'd hope that everybody would want it to continue."

It sounds like Sumlin — like his athletic director Bill Byrne — would love for the 118-year-old rivalry to continue. But he knows wishes don't always come true.

"It's not up to me," Sumlin said. "It's good for the people of Texas. It's good for the state of Texas.

"You'd hope that everybody would want it to continue. But I don't have anything to do with that. I have my hands full with a full SEC schedule."

Byrne always expected Texas-Texas A&M to continue after the Aggies fled the Big 12 and the Longhorn Network for the SEC. But Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds informed Byrne that Texas simply doesn't have "room" on its non-conference schedule for A&M until at least 2018.

Sumlin wonders if everyone should be so sure that room will ever open up. After all, when Nebraska bolted the Big 12 for the Big Ten, Nebraska-Oklahoma — a rivalry that dates back to 1912 and included several historic Top 10 games — effectively died. A few years later, there is still no talk of reviving it. In some ways, it's almost already fading from memory.

Why will Texas-Texas A&M be any different?

After his interview session is over, Sumlin turns back to make one more point on this.

"I never thought I'd see the day where there's no Nebraska-Oklahoma (game)," he said.

Sumlin shook his head once more and walked out. These days in college football, it's insane to assume anything.

unspecified

chill out

Houston Astros ballpark gets cool new name for the next 15 years

Courtesy of the Houston Astros

The Astros' stadium will have a new name in 2025.

The Houston Astros are about to have the coolest ballpark in Major League Baseball. The team announced on Monday, November 18 that its has reached a naming rights agreement HVAC manufacturer Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, the stadium will be known as Daikin Park (die-kin). Scheduled to run through the 2039 season, the new name replaces Minute Maid Park, which has been the stadium’s name since 2002. It opened in 1999 as Enron Field.

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Astros fans online are already calling the new stadium “The Ice Box,” replacing its informal “The Juice Box” moniker. That name feels likely to stick.

Japan-based Daikin Industries is a leading manufacturer of HVAC systems. It sells air conditioning units and other products under brand names such as Daikin, Goodman, Amana® and Quietflex. Critically, it operates Daikin Texas Technology Park in nearby Waller, which is the largest HVAC manufacturing facility in North America. The company employs approximately 10,000 people in Greater Houston, according to a release.

“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” Astros owner Jim said. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ballpark in 2025, I am proud to have Daikin alongside us to create even more special memories for our fans now and in the future.”

The Astros will use the revenue for new stadium amenities and other upgrades. It will also continue the team’s various community initiatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. the Houston Chronicle notes that naming rights deals may be worth anywhere from $3.5 million per year (T-Mobile park in Seattle) to $11 million per year for the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field.

The team’s first game in Daikin Park will take place on Monday, March 24, which it plays an exhibition against its Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. It will open the regular season on Thursday, March 27 against the New York Mets.

“Daikin fit all of the criteria we set out to find in a naming rights partner,” Astros senior vice president Matt Brand added. “Their name and reputation fit our iconic downtown Houston home, and their values mesh perfectly with those of the Astros. We are grateful to partner with the entire Daikin team and to help them succeed in their business goals. Daikin Park will be a special place for our fans for many years to come.”

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