Texas A&M Preparing For 'Fan-Friendly' Maroon And White Spring Game

The Texas A&M Aggies will have a more relaxed feel at the annual Maroon and White Game in 2024.

Oct 28, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Ainias Smith (0) runs / Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Elko is doing things a bit differently for Texas A&M's annual Maroon and White Game this year. One of the biggest changes? It'll be a full-on matchup between the two sides.

"We will do a draft," said Elko Wednesday on how the two teams would be formed for the scrimmage on April 20. "It will be a true football game, and we will play it out. The spring game is for the players and the fans."

The move is a promising one for the Aggies given the status of recent years. It's not an uncommon theme for programs in the spring to turn what's supposed to be a game into an elongated practice with fans in the stands.

Players will suit up for both sides, play multiple positions, and not keep score have been areas addressed in years past, but that won't be the case for the Aggies in 2024. Elko, who re-joins the Aggies after a two-year stay at Duke, wants a simple three-hour game for all to enjoy.

Change is needed in College Station. A&M is 11-11 during the regular season since Elko's departure. Last season, the offense improved under new play-caller Bobby Petrino, but a slew of injuries on offense led to regression by midseason, failed comebacks, and the eventual firing of Jimbo Fisher.

Sep 2, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Evan Stewart (1) / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Elko, who went 16-9 during his two years with the Blue Devils, might be the missing link to A&M's success. The Aggies were 34-14 during Elko's four seasons as the team's defensive coordinator, including finishing top-five in the AP Poll for the first time since 2012 in 2020.

The change also comes after a year of renovations at Kyle Field. Last offseason, half of the stadium was under construction, leaving over 35 yards of A&M's 120-yard field unusable for the game. The scrimmage also really didn't feature the "team aspect" given that multiple players lined up and played for both sides, depending on the play design.

For fans, it'll be a chance to see the new version of the Aggies in full swing for the first time since Elko was hired. And yes, the list goes past just a new coaching staff since A&M added over two dozen players via the portal, including Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Bryan native Nic Scourton.

"There is a lot more competition with new guys here," said A&M tackle Trey Zuhn. "We are learning what it is like to win again, learning and going back to the basics of the turnover battle, special teams, and football IQ, knowing down and distance. We are going to know what winning football looks like at every stage of the game." 

Elko also emphasized the importance of making the matchup as fan-friendly as possible, and that those who attend during the fall should be able to pay attention to everything going on in the spring.

"It is important when our fans come to the spring game that they want to be able to follow it," said Elko. "Sometimes, some of the reasons why we have stayed away from the different formats that some people use is – regardless of how many people we have or whatever – we do everything we can to make it flow and play like a football game just because the fans can follow it in a way that they are accustomed to."