Playing Arkansas in Arlington is a win for Texas A&M

From the first meeting in 1903, to the epic Southwest Conference matchups in the mid-70s and late-80s, Texas A&M and Arkansas bring their share of history to the table when gathering. Now, as members of the Southeastern Conference, that table is set in football’s most-modern mansion.

The plush AT&T Stadium in Arlington has served as the rivalry’s home for its last five matchups as well as three between 2009 and 2011. The Aggie-Razorback series will stay in the lavish venue under the current contract until 2024.

The trip to the Metroplex often sparks questions. Is it a positive to visit an NFL stadium for a tradition rich, college rivalry? Are the campus confines of College Station and Fayetteville more preferred? There’s always potential to play in Little Rock when visiting the Razorbacks, but the question remains the same – is home-and-home or neutral better when it comes to the Ags and Hogs?

Scott Woodward has seen it both ways. Upon his arrival to Aggieland, Texas A&M’s Director of Athletics was skeptical of playing an SEC game on neutral ground.

“I saw the schedule and thought to myself, my goodness!” Woodward recalled. “Why do we have a good conference game not being played every other year in this beautiful facility we call Kyle Field?”

At first glance, Woodward wanted to see the series become home-and-home.

“My initial reaction was, ‘As soon as we can, let’s stop,’” he said.

When Woodward dug in and took a closer look at the game’s location, more light was shed on the benefits of playing in Arlington.

The student-athlete experience is one of Woodward’s top priorities, and the Aggies enjoy quite the experience playing in the Dallas Cowboys’ home.

“From the standpoint of a student-athlete, they love playing in a top, pro venue,” Woodward said. “They are excited to have the opportunity to play there.”

There’s no questioning the Aggies’ motivation when competing in AT&T Stadium. They have won all five matchups since the series returned there in 2014.

Woodward is also tasked with finding the necessary resources to support those student-athletes. The financial aspect of the annual game in Arlington is a boost to those efforts.

“A lot of people think it’s going straight to Jerry Jones’ pockets, which it’s not,” he said. “It’s coming to us in a good way.”

The proof is in the profit.

“We net around $2 million a year,” he said. “Not every other year – every year. It’s a very good thing financially.”

Sure, some season ticket holders and fans may lament the lack of a fourth conference game at Kyle Field every other season. In even numbered years, when the Aggies are the home team in Arlington, they play three SEC games in College Station. But, with good scheduling, the department has supplemented well.

“We’ve done a great job mitigating that on even years,” Woodward said. “We have a tremendous team like Clemson come in. In the future we’ll have Colorado, Miami and Notre Dame.”

The 2018 campaign is a great study. Taking their turn as home team in Arlington, the Aggies held three conference games at Kyle Field instead of four. However, the 12th Man did not miss out on anything. With the addition of Clemson, A&M hosted four Power Five schools – the exact same number as every SEC team hosted in 2018.

Furthermore, Clemson at Texas A&M marked the only 2018 contest in which an SEC program hosted a Power Five conference opponent from outside the league.

When it comes to neutral sites, they are becoming more collegiate. Nine SEC teams played a game on neutral turf in 2018 including one of the elite conference’s most revered rivalries, the annual Florida-Georgia encounter in Jacksonville, Florida. Jimbo Fisher’s first foray into the Aggie-Razorback experience at AT&T Stadium left him with more pros than cons.

“It’s one of the top places to play in the country, and the road trip to the Metroplex is easy,” the Aggies’ head football coach said.

Another plus, the search for future Aggies leads right to the region.

“It’s good for recruiting, and provides excellent exposure in the North Texas area,” Fisher added. After all, Arlington is home to both Myles Garrett and Bobby Brown, and six signees in A&M’s 2019 recruiting class hail from the DFW area.

Finally, Fisher believes playing in the venue only benefits the program when it comes to preparing the team for its ultimate goal.

“The College Football Playoffs are at neutral sites like AT&T Stadium,” he said. “So, any experience in the stadium is a positive in my mind.”

The Southwest Classic in Arlington just might be the right fit for the Aggies and Arkansas annually. For the student-athletes, Athletics Department and 12th Man alike, it offers many positives.

For all the right reasons, this old, rugged rivalry is settling nicely into its sparkling new home.

“The College Football Playoffs are at neutral sites like AT&T Stadium. So, any experience in the stadium is a positive in my mind.”