New Exhibit Brings Texas vs. Texas A&M Rivalry to Life

By Triniti Ybarra-Burnias

Reporting Texas

Inside the Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports, visitors are greeted with a new exhibit showcasing the early roots, campus traditions and defining moments that shaped the century-old Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies rivalry. 

The “Longhorns vs Farmers” exhibit officially opened in October after being approved in May, with most of the research and preparation taking place over the summer. 

Curator Kyle R Martin said the timing made sense–the Stark Center had just entered its second year partnering with the University of Texas Club for a VIP game-day experience, Arch Manning was fueling buzz around the upcoming season and the long-awaited Texas-Texas A&M rivalry was finally returning to Austin this year.

“There was already swirling excitement about the Longhorns upcoming football season,” R M said. “So we wanted to do a new exhibit that would excite those members at home football games.” 

This year marked the 120th matchup between the two teams, and that milestone shaped how R M approached creating the exhibit. He focused on the rivalry’s culture, traditions and memorable moments, turning the history into a story that visitors could really connect with. 

That meant highlighting everything from off-field pranks to the 1999 Aggie Bonfire tragedy. 

“When I thought about organizing this exhibit, I thought about it in chapters that weren’t based on time,” he said. “I wanted to think about the origin of the rivalry.” 

The rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M started in 1894, when a young UT “Varsity” team beat the Aggies 38-0. It was a match that started one of the most intense and long-running rivalries in college sports. Over the decades, what began as a feud between small town and big city identities grew into a tradition rooted in culture, bragging rights, Thanksgiving-week showdowns and generational memories. 

As both programs grew in size and national attention, the rivalry established itself as a defining piece of Texas sports history. Texas A&M’s move to the Southeast Conference (SEC) in 2012 paused the matchup for more than a decade, but UT’s move into the conference last year brought it back.

Its return to Austin this year marks a new chapter in a rivalry that’s defined Texas football for generations. R M says the exhibit offered “an opportunity to honor a tradition deeply rooted in Texas culture and history.”

The exhibit features a wide array of rare photographs, historical jerseys and footballs, including Jim Bertelsen’s No. 35 jersey, as well as early game-day programs, and other artifacts.

“ It truly is kind of our own history, if you will,” former UT linebacker Marcus Myers said. “There’s bowl rings in there, there’s play call sheets from game days, you know, historic photos. For me it was just very nostalgic.”

Myers, who played for Texas from 2002 to 2006, said the rivalry always felt intense on the field but became a lot more familiar once the game was over. He explained that many of the players grew up competing against each other, so there was always this weird mix of competition and connection. Fans might see it as serious bad blood, but for the players, it was mostly bragging rights.

“We look at A&M as the little brother, and they hate that,” Myers said. “But, when you get off the field, we are friends with a lot of these guys.” 

Since many current UT students never experienced the rivalry at its peak, this year’s matchup was their first time seeing it live in Austin. UT sophomore Ayvelen Moore said the exhibit helps build excitement by connecting students to a history they didn’t grow up with and showing why the rivalry still matters to both fan bases.

“It really showcases how our teams have both evolved over the years, how it went from pretty extreme to more playful but still competitive,” Moore said. 

The exhibit is open weekdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with free admission and currently has no set end date, remaining on display at the Stark Center into next year. For more information about the exhibit and the center, visit the Stark Center’s website.