Mike Elko On Allure Surrounding Texas A&M vs. Texas Rivalry: 'That's What You Want, Right?'

The football return of the Texas A&M Aggies' rivalry with the Texas Longhorns is already racking up demand as the season draws nearer, and as far as first-year coach Mike Elko is concerned, that's a good thing.

Jul 18, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

A continued march toward opening night of the 2024 college football season has the Texas A&M Aggies working on team chemistry above all else.

Mike Elko is set to take the helm of the program in need of change, and since his arrival, he's delivered on that front. A shift in culture seems to be the biggest positive — as relayed by the players — of Elko's brief time in College Station, yet the Maroon & White still have work to do.

Facing Notre Dame in Week 1, in what's now set to be a ranked matchup, stands as the first test for the Aggies, yet the last game of the regular season is where all eyes rest.

The return of a rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies — the reason for so much excitement surrounding the shifting landscape of college football — is a byproduct of such change. For the Aggies, it's everything.

And they're OK with that.

“That's what makes college football so special,” Elko said of the rivalry. “I'm glad they're (Texas) coming back into our league. I'm glad that we get to play on Thanksgiving weekend. I'm glad that we get to settle it on the field. It's what college football should be.”

Nov 24, 2011; College Station, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns cornerback Eddie Aboussie (23) breaks up a pass intended for Texas A&M Aggies receiver Jeff Fuller (8) in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Since leaving the Big 12 after the 2011 season, the Aggies have played Texas in every other sport but football, and if those sports and the environments they create are any indicators, the rivalry still stands strong. And not just for the fans.

“I don’t talk to anybody from Texas," Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York said, asserting his stance on the rivalry. "It’s that personal to me.”

Jim Schlossnagle's departure from Aggie baseball further fueled the fire, and beyond him, the recruiting war rages on from every front as both schools look to take Texas' top talent away from each other.

Safe to say, it's about as strong a rivalry as they come. The ticket prices and general demand for its football return only proved that, but so will the atmosphere inside Kyle Field when the late-November day finally arrives.

Elko knows that better than anyone.

“Celebrity wise, on both sidelines,” the coach began. “(with) all of the people that are going to try to experience that game ... It's going to feel a little bit like an occasion.

"That's what you want right?”