Texas A&M coach Mike Elko didn’t exactly tiptoe around the SEC’s talks about LSU. He framed the whole situation as a parent finally stepping in after a child has pushed things too far.
According to On3’s Carter Karels, Elko said, “This is a little bit like the son figuring out where the limits are until dad comes home and raises his voice, and then the son goes, ‘I was just kidding, I didn’t mean any of that,'” Elko said. “I think that’s what you’re seeing. LSU will be in the SEC… This is just a little bit of parenting going on right now.”
The remark landed the way sharp-tongued conference drama usually does: plenty of people outside LSU had a good time with it, while Tigers fans immediately started circling the calendar. Their message was simple - keep that same energy when Texas A&M and LSU meet later this month.
The backdrop here is an LSU program that drew plenty of attention all offseason, from its pursuits of Lane Kiffin and Will Wade (one could argue) to its efforts to add former professional athletes to its sports teams. The SEC, at least according to the source material here, has spent the past month checking the Tigers over.
The online reaction came fast, including the line, “Greg Sankey is Lane Kiffin’s daddy” - Mike Elko, along with other posts that leaned into the joke and the brewing matchup.
There’s also recent history between these teams. Last season, Texas A&M went into Death Valley and beat LSU 49-25, and LSU began its process of firing head coach Brian Kelly the next day.
Now the Aggies and Tigers are set to do it again on Saturday, Sept. 26, with Elko and Texas A&M facing LSU and Lane Kiffin.
In Other News...
Rival Coach Just Turned LSUs SEC Controversy Into A Bigger Story
Mike Elko did not need much prompting to weigh in on LSUs recent run-in with the SEC, and the Texas A&M coach used a pointed analogy to describe what happened around Baton Rouge. Speaking after LSUs dispute with the league over its attempt to roster former NFL players, Elko compared the episode to a child pushing limits before the consequences arrive, a sharp way to frame a controversy that briefly had the Tigers staring at possible expulsion.
The SEC ultimately backed off after LSU filled those roster spots with eligible student-athletes and severed ties with the former NFL rookies, defusing a situation that had threatened to become much bigger. Elko said he expects things to settle down and LSU to remain in the league, but his remarks added another layer to a strange little saga that already had the SEC office and one of Texas A&Ms biggest rivals in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Is Bringing Back One Of Kyle Fields Most Meaningful Traditions
Texas A&M will add a familiar layer of meaning to its upcoming Red, White and Blue Game against Arizona State at Kyle Field, using the matchup to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Aggies are planning to wear special red, white and blue helmets and gloves, reviving a tradition that stretches back to the years immediately after 2001 and has long tied the programs on-field presence to a larger moment of remembrance.
The game has also carried a charitable side in the past, with previous Red, White and Blue Games helping raise funds for organizations connected to 9/11 relief efforts. For a fan base that values the symbolism attached to Kyle Field traditions, this one will once again be about more than just the opponent across the field. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Brings Back One Of Kyle Fields Most Meaningful Traditions
Texas A&M is set to bring back one of the most recognizable traditions at Kyle Field when it hosts Arizona State on Sept. 12, with the Red, White and Blue Game returning in full patriotic form. The stadium will be decorated in red, white and blue as the Aggies mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks while also tying the event to Americas 250th birthday, keeping alive a custom that has long carried meaning beyond the scoreboard.
The tradition dates to the aftermath of the 2001 attacks, when it began as a fundraiser and a way for the program to honor those affected. It was revived in 2021 for the 20th anniversary and has remained one of the most visible reminders of how Texas A&M football can connect game day to something larger, with the program again using the occasion to recognize those who have served the country. [Read more 🡒]