Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry resumes, but Hex Rally tradition won't return right now

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies returns, the tradition the University of Texas brought to life nearly a century ago will not come back this year.

The last time the Longhorns played the Aggies was in 2011 right before A&M left the Big 12 Conference for the Southeastern Conference.

The rivalry, which started in 1894 with a 38-0 UT victory, will be reignited Saturday night in College Station.

Throughout the rivalry, the Longhorns have held a decades-long tradition -- known as the Hex Rally -- as a way to curse the Aggies and ensure victory on the football field.

In previous years, the University of Texas community would come together and light a red candle ahead of the annual clash with the Aggies, the Texas Exes organization said.

However, the event is a thing of the past as it won't happen before the 2024 game, Texas Exes said. It is unclear if the tradition will return for future iterations of the Lone Star Showdown.

History of the Hex Rally

The history of the Hex Rally began in 1941 when students were hoping to "break the A&M jinx," of Texas losses at A&M's Kyle Field, according to The Alcalde.

It was a year when the Aggies were undefeated, and UT students went to a fortune teller named Madam Agusta Hipple, The Alcalde reported. She recommended the students to light red candles a week prior to the game to "place a hex on their rivals." Texas broke the jinx that year beating A&M 23-0.

The tradition of the Hex Rally remained sporadic over the decades following the original hex in the 1940s -- which also worked against other rivals -- like Southern Methodist University, Baylor and Texas Christian University, according to Texas Exes.

However, students "lost interest in long-standing UT tradition," which included the Hex Rally. It wasn't until the mid-1980s when the tradition was brought back by the now Texas Exes student chapter for the Texas-Texas A&M game, according to The Alcalde. The first official Hex Rally was held on Thanksgiving in 1986.

Amy Vance, president of the Texas Exes College Station Chapter, said she felt the tradition had a bigger meaning than just lighting the candle. She said it was neat to have all of the students rallying together when she participated in the 1980s

"It wasn't the size of the flame, so to speak, it was the meaning behind it, and it was neat to have all the students there rallying together," Vance said.

Vance said she didn't remember a lot of events that happened back then, so having all of the students united for one goal was unique.

She also said she believed the Hex Rally was "small scale" compared to the bonfire A&M used to have as part of its tradition before playing UT.

The A&M bonfire tragedy 25 years later

The annual Texas A&M bonfire that happened prior to the rivalry game turned tragic on Nov. 18, 1999 when the log stack collapsed, according to The Associated Press.

Twelve people died and multiple others were injured as a result of the collapse.

The bonfire was discontinued after the deadly collapse.

In 2003, the university dedicated a memorial where the log stack fell, which includes a "Spirit Ring" with 12 portals as a representation for those who died.

An annual memorial is held on Nov. 18 at 2:42 a.m., which is around the time of the collapse, according to the AP.

Although there were discussions to bring back the bonfire as UT entered the SEC, Texas A&M President Mark Welsh III ultimately decided against bringing the tradition back in an official capacity.

“Bonfire, both a wonderful and tragic part of Aggie history, should remain in our treasured past,” Welsh said when he announced his decision in June.

Vance, who works at Texas A&M, said she felt a way for UT alumni to honor the people killed and injured in the collapse was to help with the clean-up of the bonfire memorial.

The annual clean-up happens two weeks prior to the remembrance ceremony, she said.

She said around eight to 10 people from the College Station chapter showed up to the memorial clean-up in 2023 and said it was "such a moving experience."

"I recall distinctly that the student who was in charge of the traditions council at A&M came out to us, and she said, as she was walking up to the memorial, she saw a bunch of people in orange shirts, and she could not believe what she saw and just gave her chills," Vance said. "And, you know, and even after that, there were several people that we received email from or comments from that just said, 'Wow, that was just so cool of y'all to do,' and it was really touching and meaningful to us that were there."

After the chapter participated in the annual clean-up for the second year in a row, Vance said it's something she would like for the chapter to do every year.

"I mean, this is something that should be on-going," she said. "It touched us all very much to be at such a hallowed place."

She said the other alumni who are part of the College Station chapter all had a story of where they were or what they were doing at the time the log stack collapsed.

"Even the people that were in our chapter, in our Texas Exes chapter, much older than I... all of us had different stories of you know, where were you when you heard you know, and what it meant to each of us," Vance said.

How to rekindle a tradition 10 years later

While the Hex Rally is not being brought back, UT alumni are still preparing for the big rivalry game.

Alex Denney, president of the Texas Exes San Antonio chapter, said he was a freshman at UT the last time the Longhorns played the Aggies.

"It's always been a big deal playing A&M," he said. "In the nicest way, they sometimes have an annoying vibe to it, where it's always, to me, it feels like little brother, and it's always like little brother's always trying to pick on the older brother. But they obviously don't feel like that, and they'll definitely say we were established longer. And I think that's where, like, the rivalry comes from, just because they were, like, the first Texas university, and then they just hate that we have the name The University of Texas."

UT was founded in 1883. While A&M was created in 1871, instruction did not begin at the university until 1876, according to the A&M website.

As a way to gear up for the rivalry game, Denney said the San Antonio chapter is hosting a watch party.

"We've been gearing up for this game with stepping into the SEC," he said. "It's just a big deal. I'd very well compare it to just as big of a deal as when the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving."

He said this game specifically means more to the state of Texas.

"And where we are right now, both of us, it can mean, like, who gets into the SEC championship. So, this game specifically means more. It's going to be a big one," Denney said.

The Longhorns will play the Aggies in College Station at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The San Antonio chapter will host its watch party at Little Woodrow's Stone Oak, 606 W. Afton Oaks Blvd., in San Antonio, according to Texas Exes.