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.

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hockey news

NHL taps Houston billionaire to launch new Texas hockey franchise

Photo by Morris Molina

Houston has been without a pro hockey team since the Aeros folded.

Hockey fans in either Houston or Austin may have a new opportunity to root for the home team. The NHL has committed to adding a 33rd team in the Lone Star State, according to multiple media reports.

As part of those plans, the NHL has reached an agreement with Pursuit Sports, an arm of the Houston-based Friedkin family. Per the agreement, the NHL has granted The Friedkin Family, led by Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin, the exclusive rights to own the future franchise. Pursuit Sports, the family’s company that owns three European soccer franchises, will evaluate both Houston and Austin as potential homes for the team.

The family issued the following statement about the NHL’s decision. It reads in part:

Each city brings unique attributes that would make a new team a huge success — both have the infrastructure, passionate fan bases, and economic strength needed to support a championship-caliber franchise for years to come.

We have wanted for some time to bring an NHL team to Texas, and we are excited that the process has now begun. Selecting a new market for an NHL franchise is a special and important responsibility, and we are grateful to the league for their faith in us and their support. Working with Commissioner Bettman and the NHL, we will undertake a principled, disciplined, and methodical process to ensure we find the right long-term home for this new franchise.

Houston has been without a professional hockey team since the Houston Aeros folded in 2013.

With a net worth of $11.4 billion, Dan Friedkin ranks No. 279 on the 2026 edition of the Forbes World’s Billionaires List. That’s good for Houston’s third richest resident, behind only Kinder Morgan chairman Richard Kinder (No. 232, $13 billion) and Landry’s owner Tilman Fertitta (No. 268, $11.7 billion).

His wealth primarily stems from his ownership of Gulf States Toyota, which has the exclusive rights to sell Toyota vehicles in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The company sold more than $13 billion worth of Toyotas in 2025 alone, Forbes reports.

The Friedkin family launched Pursuit Sports last summer. It currently owns three European soccer clubs — A.S. Roma (Italian Serie A), A.S. Cannes (French Championnat National 2), and Everton F.C. (English Premier League).