New tradition marks return of UT, Texas A&M rivalry game

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a 13-year hiatus, the University of Texas Longhorns will travel to College Station to play the Texas A&M Aggies in the renewed Lone Star Showdown rivalry.

The "Ruck Across the Brazos" kicked off Friday in Austin as a new tradition between the universities. Groups of cadets and student veterans will walk and drive a game football to College Station along with traditional military ruck packs, according to UT.

The new tradition kicked off at 8:30 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Plaza outside Darell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. The trek will end in College Station at Kyle field, where Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko will receive the ball around 5:30 p.m.

One-star generals from the Air Force Recruiting Service will cheer on the groups as they start and finish the journey. Brigadier Gen. Christopher Amrhein, a 1995 Longhorn, and Brigadier Gen. Craig McPike, a 1992 Aggie, will be with cadets at the start of each leg.

Jacob Tegtmeier, a cadet first sergeant for the Longhorn Battalion, said he hopes the tradition continues for decades to come with camaraderie among veterans and cadets from both schools.

"It not only honors this rivalry game but also the military history for both of our schools," he said.

The Longhorns will play the Aggies in College Station at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.