Steve Sarkisian on Texas football playing Texas A&M for first time since 2011: 'We'll be ready'

Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian is gearing up for his program's first season in the SEC, which presents new — and some old — matchups.

Among those for the Longhorns is the rekindling of an old rivalry with Texas A&M, which Texas last faced in 2011 when both schools were members of the Big 12.

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“The question is about with all of the changes happening in college football like NIL, transfer portal, conference realignment, you name it — we’ve got a lot going on right now,” Sarkisian told reporters at the Houston Touchdown Club.

“But with that change, what’s coming is renewing the rivalry with (Texas) A&M and how to get our players that we recruit back into the vigor of that rivalry that I think y’all have enjoyed for decades and decades. It’s not hard at all. We’ll be ready.”

Talk has been made in recent years with past rivalries being left behind due to major conference realignment in college sports. In Texas' case, while it leaves matchups with in-state schools TCU, Houston, Baylor and Texas Tech from the Big 12, it gains the Aggies, who left the Big 12 for the SEC for the 2012 season, and Arkansas, an old opponent from the Southwest Conference.

Sarkisian said he wasn't worried about old rivalries, however.

“People are excited about some of the conference realignment that’s happening,” Sarkisian said. “People are excited about the expanded College Football Playoff. People are excited about rivalries getting renewed. Everyone’s worried about conference realignment that we’re losing rivalries? Well, there are some good ones getting renewed, too.”

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The Longhorns are entering the SEC fresh off their first trip to the College Football Playoff, where they fell to Washington 37-31 at the Sugar Bowl.

Texas had a program-record 11 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, however, are still expected to be among the top teams in its new conference while bringing back quarterback Quinn Ewers for his third season as the starter.

Texas' game against Texas A&M is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 30 in College Station.