Texas and Texas A&M. It's a relationship that goes way back, but after an ugly conference realignment breakup, the two just can't seem to get back on the same page.
Here's a timeline of their trials and tribulations since splitting apart.
July 17, 2017
Texas' new head coach is on board!
Tom Herman on scheduling: "We don't play a rival at home ever. I don't know why we can't play A&M as our marquee non-conference opponent."
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) July 18, 2017
THE HEAT SCALE, rating the flirtatious energy between Texas and A&M: 4. Texas' old head coach was also on board, and look where that got us.
June 28, 2017
"Their AD (DeLoss Dodds) at the time came out and said we will never play Texas A&M again, and they worked along with Baylor and the conference to have no one in the (Big 12) schedule us," former A&M AD Greg Byrne said. "There were other forces at work to make sure we didn't play."
THE HEAT SCALE: 4. That story has a bunch of disheartening stuff on this rivalry and Kansas-Missouri, but that particular quote is at least hot.
June 16, 2017
"Me, personally? I think over the course of time that's going to happen," A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said when asked, while also talking about how well he knows new Horns coach Tom Herman. "With our move to the SEC, scheduling has become a real issue."
THE HEAT SCALE: 3. Sumlin's been predicting a reunion for years now, not that we don't appreciate him doing so.
June 10, 2016
"They're trying to work something out right now where we're going to play the Aggies," Charlie Strong said at an event. A Texas spokesman said no specifics have been discussed, but we didn't even hear any of the words in this second sentence.
THE HEAT SCALE: 8. Do it.
April 14, 2016
A&M athletic director Scott Woodward, via DailyTrib.com in Texas:
Will the Aggies play the University of Texas in football again?
"We have to really assess what is our best path to winning the (Southeastern Conference) West," Woodward said. "I don't foresee anything happening in the near future. There are a lot of opinions well above my pay grade. Rivalries, I think, are healthy for the game.
"It'll be something we'll consider," he added. "It'll be a discussion I'll have to have. I have no objection to it. It's something that has to work for us and for folks."
HEAT SCALE: 5.
March 19, 2016
The two nearly played again in March Madness, but Texas had to go and lose to Northern Iowa on a buzzer beater. Aggies everywhere were torn between laughing at rivals and lamenting the chance to square off, but the likely A&M starting QB had the definitive opinion:
lol pic.twitter.com/S95xNzXEfi
— Jake Hubenak (@hubenak_j) March 19, 2016
HEAT SCALE: Unchanged. Laughing at your fallen rival is standard human behavior.
September 30, 2015
Texas A&M regent Tony Buzbee in a Facebook post, via the Austin American-Statesman:
I am going to advocate that the Aggies play Texas again in the near future. Because of our brutal SEC West schedule [...], the Aggies need some cupcake games to rest and heal. In my view, Texas is just as weak if not weaker than the non-conference games we play, so we may as well play them.
HEAT SCALE: 5. Buzbee is, as he mentions, only one regent, and regents aren't athletic directors, but eating pastries is often an enjoyable date activity.
June 18, 2015
Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp is quoted as saying this in response to Texas selling beer at games now:
A&M chancellor Sharp on alcohol at events: "Our athletic program has not reached the point where we require the numbing effects of alcohol."
— Gabe Bock (@GabeBock) June 18, 2015
HEAT SCALE: 3. These rivals can neither imbibe nor abstain without thinking of each other, but we already knew that.
May 8, 2015
A&M chancellor John Sharp took swipes at the Longhorn Network and Texas' recent on-field struggles in an interview.
We're hopeful that sometime in the future there will be a bowl game that we're able to play in, you know, if [Texas] gets there. But the great thing about playing us is that you can get on real TV if you play us.
HEAT SCALE: 2. Sharp ended with "of course I'm just joking about all of this." Stick to your guns, John!
April 16, 2015
When asked about renewing the rivalry, Strong joked that he wasn't pushing too hard for it yet because he wanted to win some games first. Specifically, he said "I don't know if I want to go walking into College Station right now."
That has caught on at A&M, including with incoming five-star defensive tackle Daylon Mack, who signed with the Aggies over Texas.
— THEE MACK TRUCK (@DaylonMack) April 16, 2015
HEAT SCALE: 7. Twitter banter's usually a 2, but that shirt's a 5 by itself.
April 14, 2015
Oh my:
Texas' Charlie Strong and Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin both in the last week expressed to ESPN.com a desire to resume playing the longstanding rivalry after a three-year hiatus that coincided with the Aggies leaving the Big 12 and joining the SEC in 2012.
HEAT SCALE: 8.
July 23, 2014
Texas coach Charlie Strong on playing Texas A&M: "You would like to see us play each other"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 23, 2014
HEAT SCALE: 7. We're cookin' now.
May 27, 2014
Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin on future games w/Texas: "Eventually I think it will happen"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) May 27, 2014
HEAT SCALE: 6.
May 26, 2014
Texas and Texas A&M are playing again! In baseball. Postseason baseball, meaning they had no choice.
HEAT SCALE: 3. Baseball.
April 25, 2014
UT AD Steve Patterson told us ``unless there is a compelling reason,'' the football series between Texas and Texas A&M is dead.
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) April 25, 2014
HEAT SCALE: 2. There's no reason in love.
April 1, 2014
Texas AD Steve Patterson: Playing A&M "not at the top of my list."
HEAT SCALE: 3. /Patterson throws Strong into a cold shower
March 7, 2014
New Texas head coach Charlie Strong, sharing his thoughts on resuming the rivalry: "I'd love to play it."
HEAT SCALE: 11. Whoa, take it easy, Charlie. You can't come on so strong, that's just going to creep them out.
Nov. 20, 2013
A&M president Loftin: "There's no reason why we shouldn't play each other, if we want to. I think (Texas) will at some point in time feel like it's the right thing to do as well, and we'll get there."
HEAT SCALE: 7.
Nov. 6, 2013
After Texas hires Steve Patterson as AD, Texas A&M senior associate AD Jason Cook says the Aggies are not looking to renew the annual rivalry: "We hope to play them again in a BCS bowl or Playoff game at some point."
HEAT SCALE: 3. "I mean, if we run into 'em at a bar or something and they wanna hook up, we're totally down. But we ain't looking for a long-term thing. Just wanna keep it casual, ya know?"
Sept. 11, 2013
Texas A&M DB Toney Hurd Jr. takes to Twitter, proclaiming, "Texas A&M is the university of Texas." Then-Longhorns head coach Mack Brown responds to the media: "We are the university in this state, regardless of what some kid tweets."
HEAT SCALE: 2. They just can't let each other go, but man, it's getting nasty.
May 31, 2013
Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin: "It's not relevant to us anymore, that's the whole point. It's not an important issue."
HEAT SCALE: 3. "Who? Yeah, I think I remember someone by that name."
April 1, 2013
OH MAN THEY'RE GETTING BACK TOGETHER.
HEAT SCALE: 0. Wait. Awww dammit, April Fools' got us again.
March 18, 2013
Texas AD Dodds: "They're the ones that decided not to play us. We get to decide when we play again. I think that's fair."
HEAT SCALE: 6. It's not gonna be that easy, baby.
Jan. 29, 2013
Texas State Rep. Ryan Guillen proposes law forcing A&M and Texas to play.
HEAT SCALE: 0. Will you two give it a rest and get back together already. You're all each other talks about, and we're tired of seeing you like this. Jeez.
Nov. 19, 2012
Texas DE Alex Okafor, in the buildup to the Longhorns' new year-end game against TCU: "I feel sorry for A&M. We still have a big-time game on Thanksgiving. They're missing out."
HEAT SCALE: 8. "OH. OH OK YOU FOUND SOMEONE NEW? WELL WE FOUND SOMEONE NEW TOO AND WE'RE DOING JUST FINE." /Texas quickly puts its arm around the first school it can find, which happens to be TCU
May 30, 2012
Texas A&M and LSU reportedly agree to become annual end-of-season rivals.
HEAT SCALE: 6. A&M is moving on with its new life in a new place, but one has to think it's hoping Texas will notice the Aggies' sexy new companion.
Nov. 25, 2011
In the final scheduled meeting, Texas defeats A&M, 27-25, on a game-winning field goal as time expires.
HEAT SCALE: 10. Texas just came over to get that last box of t-shirts and CDs, and of course it turned into a raucous night of love-making, just like the old times. A&M was pretty mad when the Longhorns left an upper-decker before running out laughing, though.
Oct. 15, 2011
Texas AD DeLoss Dodds: "What we have right now is a full schedule."
HEAT SCALE: 1. "I can't on Friday. Saturday's no good, either. Neither is next week. Or next month."
Sept. 26, 2011
Someone creates a "Keep the Texas vs. Texas A&M Rivalry Game Tradition Alive - Drama Free" Facebook page. It garnered only 89 likes and, as we all know, didn't get the pair back together.
HEAT SCALE: 1. This isn't really a spark between the 'Horns and Ags. It's a desperate plea from their friends to give it another shot.
Sadness scale: 10. :-(
Aug. 29, 2011
Report surfaces Texas A&M is set to announce its departure from the Big 12.
HEAT SCALE: 1. It has been a long road together, but after one last big fight over A&M wanting its own space, the Longhorns and Aggies agree that they just don't have anything in common anymore, and it's best to go their separate ways.
Any more?
We'll update this as more of these arrive over time (and they certainly will). Did we miss any from the past?