Lonestar Showdown Rivalry Gets New Title Sponsor

The Lonestar Showdown rivalry received a sponsor, per a joint announcement from both schools

Nov 23, 2007; College Station, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) throws a pass against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Lonestar Showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies has long been known as one of the best rivalries in college sports.

That has obviously been particularly true on the football field, where the two programs have traded blows 118 times over 130 years, with the Horns holding a 76–37–5 edge.

Unfortunately for college football fans everywhere, that rivalry has been lost for over a decade with the Aggies' move to the SEC, with the last time the two programs faced off coming in 2011 in College Station. The Longhorns won that game 27-25 on a last-second field goal from Justin Tucker.

With Texas and the Oklahoma Sooners now officially part of the SEC as of July 1, the rivalry between the Horns and Aggies is finally set to be reignited on the gridiron.

However, as of Thursday, its going to look a little bit different going forward - at least on the surface.

November 27, 2008; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) leaps into the end zone past Texas A&M Aggies corner back Terrence Frederick (7) and defensive back Johnathan Batson (1) in the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas beat Texas A&M 49-9. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports / Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Per a joint announcement from the Longhorns and Aggies athletic directors Chris Del Conte and Trev Alberts, Cotton Holdings Inc. has been revealed as the new title sponsor for the rivalry.

"Growing up in Texas, the rivalry between The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University was legendary," Pete Bell, Founder & CEO of Cotton said in a statement. "Since founding Cotton, it has been a dream of mine to see our brand represent this series. We are proud to support these two great universities and are extremely honored to serve as the title sponsor for the Lone Star Showdown and the return of their historic rivalry."

Cotton will also be the title sponsor for up to 19 different sports in the rivalry, and will determine the winner of an annual trophy, known as the Lone Star Showdown Rivalry Series Trophy, in which points will be awarded based on head to head matchups and other factors including final standings and conference championships.

The announcement comes just a day after the schools jointly announced the plans for the press conference, and rumors began to swirl that the schools would reveal plans for a neutral site matchup.

Fortunately for the rivalry and the fans, it appears that won't be the case.

Now, the two fanbases can look forward to what promises to be one of the most electric atmospheres in college football next season, when the programs face off in College Station on Nov. 30.

"Rekindling our historic rivalry with Texas A&M and bringing that back for not only our fans but fans of college sports across our great state, the country, and the world, is so special," Del Conte said in a statement. "And we're so grateful our friends at Cotton Holdings are on board to help amplify that with the Lone Star Showdown rivalry series. I know our fans are going to follow the standings closely."

The Longhorns and Aggies will both kick off the 2024 season on Aug 31., with Texas A&M set to take on Notre Dame, while Texas hosts Colorado State.