In a candid discussion on the On Second Thought podcast, Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte shed light on why the Longhorns decided to cancel their non-conference series with Arizona State slated for 2032 and 2033. According to Del Conte, the series was never meant to be set in stone.
The origin of the agreement goes back to a scheduling shuffle years ago. Texas, looking to avoid dipping into the FCS ranks, found a temporary solution with Arizona State. In return, Texas agreed to a future series that, as Del Conte revealed, was always intended to be more of a placeholder than a firm commitment.
“We agreed, okay, we’ll play you down the road. Let us play Monroe right now, knowing that we’re never gonna play that game.
So we actually canceled that game six, seven months ago. It just hit the newspaper now, but it was a mutually agreed upon thing,” Del Conte explained.
The decision, though only recently making headlines, was settled months ago. Del Conte emphasized that the cancellation was mutual and reflected a broader strategy of maintaining flexibility in an ever-changing college football landscape.
With the College Football Playoff expanding and conference realignment constantly reshaping the sport, Del Conte highlighted the need for adaptability. “What does our new ecosystem look like? So instead of being like it used to be, let me schedule teams 10 years out, let’s be a little bit more nimble right now because of the unknown,” he stated.
This uncertainty even touches high-profile matchups. When questioned about Texas’ 2028-29 series with Notre Dame, Del Conte remained non-committal, underscoring the fluid nature of future scheduling.
As the Longhorns navigate the SEC era and an evolving playoff structure, they’re clearly focused on keeping their options open, even if it means revisiting and revising games that were once penciled in.