Settling the debate between the Lone Star Showdown and the Red River Rivalry

While at the SEC media days, Quinn Ewers let reporters know that his dad is a fan of the Lone Star Showdown, more so than the Red River Rivalry.

Ewers’ dad taught him that the Texas versus Texas A&M game used to be bigger than the Texas versus Oklahoma game.

While the Horns haven’t played the Aggies in nearly a decade and a half, the hatred for Texas A&M is still alive and well in Texas fans' hearts.

However, the Red River Rivalry has stood the test of time, and now the realignment of conferences.

So, was Ewers’ dad right about the Lone Star Showdown? Is it bigger, better, and more beloved (or despised) than the Red River Rivalry?

Before I get too far into this debate, let me say that I grew up a Longhorn fan. I was raised in Austin and one of my first college football memories was the cannon firing before the Horns kicked off at DKR.

I grew up hating both the Sooners and the Aggies. I remember Justin Tucker’s game-winning, walk-off field goal in 2011. I’ve been to the Cotton Bowl and the state fair for the OU game.

So, yes, I have my opinion of which rivalry just means more but I won’t share that until the end.

To start my “research” into the two rivalries, I asked our readers which game gets their blood boiling more and to be honest, it didn’t really help me find an answer.

Sure, the vote clearly leans toward the Red River Rivalry – however, responses to the tweet and quotes laid out good points about each game.

Almost everyone hates Texas A&M more than Oklahoma but there is usually more on the line in the Red River Rivalry since the Sooners are usually the better team.

“The RRR is more important because OU is typically good/competitive,” Nikki Guerra said. “The LSS is a battle of the state and the type of rivalry game that it doesn’t matter if one is in the top 5 and the other unranked, the hate is so deep each team plays like they are 1 and 2.”

Another point that was brought up is that the rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma really only matters in football (and softball cause they’re both so good). 

The Red River Rivalry isn’t necessarily a thing for women’s volleyball or either basketball program or baseball.

However, the hatred for Texas A&M crosses athletic borders and applies to every. Single. Sport.

Next, I turned to my family. Both of my parents grew up in Texas, attended the University of Texas, and they attend at least three home games every football season (they used to have season tickets but gave them up after the 2009 National Championship loss).

My aunt earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from UT, my grandmother was a UT cheerleader, and my grandfather graduated from Texas.

The moral of the story? My family’s blood is burnt orange.

Here’s what they all said:

When my parents and aunt were growing up, the Texas A&M game was the ‘it’ game. Now, and for the past four(ish) decades, OU has been the bigger rival, including when the Aggies were still in the Big 12.

My aunt even went as far as to say, “We were their biggest rival, but they were an afterthought for us,” about Texas A&M. My mom chimed in, “Still are!”

Both games, every year they are played, are filled with emotional moments, nail-biting countdowns, and the biggest hits of the season.

The Longhorns and the Aggies have shared a football field 118 times, Texas has walked away with 76 victories. The Horns have faced the Sooners 119 times, just one more game, and have won only 63 of the matchups.

In my opinion, as someone who grew up with 11 years of the Lone Star Showdown and 24 years of the Red River Rivalry (so far), I hate Texas A&M more but man, the Sooners are as annoying as a fanbase gets.

The Red River Rivalry matters more when it comes to rankings and standings.

However, I still remember how good it felt to walk through the halls of my elementary school and be able to brag about Texas' win over the Aggies.

Read more: