re: LSU vs Texas AM rivalry? What is yalls opinion? Should it be move from thanksgiving week

Why move it? Who do you put there?

Can’t do Bama. They play Auburn that week. Can’t do State or Ole Miss. can’t do UF, they play FSU.

Thanks n the west that leaves Ark or aTm. Not much choice here.

quote:

---

quote:
But that tradition, unlike the Bama-Tennessee game tradition, was not as important to the SEC


The Bama-Tennessee rivalry waaaaayyyy predates LSU-Arkansas. LSU-Arkansas was the forced rivalry. Before they entered the league, to two teams didn’t regularly meet. LSU and A&M met for many years, at least most of the 70s through the 90s, in September. A&M wasn’t in the SEC then, it was a natural rivalry.

---

Alabama-Tennessee also pre-dates Alabama-Auburn, which is truly a forced rivalry. It was forced by legislation in 1948, as the 2 schools had ceased to compete for decades. The rivalry quickly became heated and hated but it never rose above the level of Alabama-Tennessee for many and probably never will. The same goes for some who still hold Auburn-Georgia above the Alabama-Auburn rivalry.

I still remember when LSU-Ole Miss carried a lot of rivalry/hate for both sides and was usually played at the end of October if I recall correctly. The new pairing of Arkansas-Missouri to end their seasons seems like a natural match, but Kansas will probably always be Missouri's most intense rival. It shouldn't be that hard to keep that rivalry in place if there was a will between the athletic departments to do so. UF, UGA, UK, and SC all manage to continue rivalries with out-of-conference opponents, so it can be done.

quote:

---

Should it be move from thanksgiving week

---

Well, we have to play someone that weekend. Might as well be aTm. LSU just doesn't have a rival to stick in that spot. They tried to manufacture a rivalry with Arkansas with the boot trophy. aTm makes sense because there's some real history there, even though its not yet what I'd call a true rivalry.

quote:

---

The Bama-Tennessee rivalry waaaaayyyy predates LSU-Arkansas.

---

That is true, it actually predate the SEC

quote:

---

LSU-Arkansas was the forced rivalry.

---

Not any more than A&M. I would conted less so. In the early years Arkansas and LSU played each other every year from 1906-1936 except for 1918. This despite not being in the same conference at any time in that time period.

quote:

---

LSU and A&M met for many years, at least most of the 70s through the 90s, in September.

---

There were several years that they played each other followed by several year gaps from about 1960 through their entry into the SEC 60-75, 86-95,

quote:

---

A&M wasn’t in the SEC then, it was a natural rivalry.

---

I would contend that both Arkansas and A&M present a natural rivalry possibility but that the games 60-75 and particularly 86-95 were more related to marketability and money than natural rivalry. Ultimately, I don't have any issues with either game being considered a "rivalry game" and trying to gen up interest through that, I just don't get disrupting what had turned into a tradition (at least for my family) to try to replace one that a new team had in another conference with a team never in this conference (or probably to try to capture the TV revenue that would generate). Because that was the driver behind the LSU A&M Thanksgiving matchups, trying to replace A&M vs UT on thanksgiving.

Just my take on it, though. Yours has plenty of merit as well.

quote:

---

The two fan bases hated each other long before A&M was in the league.

---

One side of my family is full of Aggies. My mom's cousin was the only LSU fan, so he would hang a huge LSU flag out in front of the house during family parties. Grandma always used to get pissed off about that because she hated LSU so much.

Given how many times we've played them, and the military traditions of each school, I think of it as a natural rivalry. I get why people of a certain age may not consider it to be, but fans on both sides protest too much that it isn't, methinks. There's a lot of shite-slinging between Tigers and Aggies on the SEC Rant for a supposed non-rivalry, even in the offseason.

Personally, I fricking hate Texas A&M.

Love it being a rivalry week game.

We got moved to give them a game on thanksgiving to replace Texas.

I grew Up going to that Friday Arkansas game because our family members with season tickets never wanted to go the day after thanksgiving.

quote:

---

Arkansas rivalry was forced.

---

Correct. Prior to Arkansas joining the SEC, LSU had played A&M 13 more times than Arkansas.

Didn't I read elsewhere that A&M & Texas were trying to get the Thanksgiving eve game on again? If that comes to be (see $$$$$$$$$), then LSU needs a game on Thanksgiving weekend.
I like the idea of playing Tulane on a 4 or 5 to 1 rotation. Since it is an instate rival, the game looks better than a rent a win vs U LALA or ULM re strength of schedule, etc. Besides, I don't give a damn what anyone says, no one cries better than a Greenie Winnie!