Aggies’ traditions command center stage at the Longhorns’ expense inside packed Kyle Field during Midnight Yell
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The old saying remains true about Texas A&M. From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it. Nothing embodies that more than Midnight Yell, a pep rally-style event that is every bit as important as “sawing Varsity’s horns off” during the […]
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The old saying remains true about Texas A&M. From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.
Nothing embodies that more than Midnight Yell, a pep rally-style event that is every bit as important as “sawing Varsity’s horns off” during the Aggie War Hymn.
The first Midnight Yell prior to restarting the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry was a can’t-miss event Friday night for Aggies. Ironically, it started at 5:30 p.m. as the school scheduled a Pat Green concert afterwards at Reed Arena.
In A&M parlance, it was full of “good bull” with plenty of pageantry, barbs and a special fireworks show as the Aggies prepare to “beat the hell outta t.u.” For the 12th Man, Saturday’s blockbuster against the third-ranked Longhorns can’t get here soon enough.
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“What’s the biggest joke in college football?,” Yell Leader Kyler Fife asked the crowd. “t.u.’s football schedule.”
Jake Carter, Senior Head Yell Leader, said it was obvious A&M has more class than “t.u.”
“All you gotta do is look at t.u.’s behavior,” Carter said. “Look how they trash their own field in their only real game this season against Georgia. I mean, their own house.
“And really, it just seems like every month, the university is in the news for some new protests or crazy thing that’s going on at their campus,” Carter added. “But here at Texas A&M, we’ve remained true to our core values and who we are as Aggies, and that’s what sets us apart.”
Yell practice dates back to an after-dinner ritual that started in 1913, but the first true Midnight Yell began in 1931. It started when someone suggested A&M freshmen meet outside the YMCA building to practice their cheers the day before the Aggies played the Longhorns.
Tradition matters to the Aggies, and now A&M fans jam Kyle Field at midnight before every home game for yell practice. There looked to be at least 40,000, give or take a few thousand, packed into the east stadium grandstands Friday.
A&M officials also moved up the start time so the football team could attend.
“They'll never understand what this place is really about until they come experience it,” A&M coach Mike Elko told the crowd. “They can say all they want on the outside, but this is what makes Texas A&M so special — you!
“I got hired a year ago yesterday, and since that day, I got asked a million questions about tomorrow. And me and this team have been working non-stop to make sure that tomorrow means everything.
“As we got into the year, with your support and your backing, we're going to take the deal tomorrow, not only playing to beat our biggest rival, but playing for a spot in the SEC championship.”
A&M President Mark A. Welsh III, a retired general, noted that 58 suite holders asked to open their suites for the event. He spoke about the school’s tradition and made a special request for Saturday’s National Anthem. “Help me sing it loud and let everybody who’s visiting Kyle Field tomorrow know how proud we are of this country, of this state, of this stadium, and of this unbelievable University,” Welsh said.
Yell Leaders are known for wearing their traditional white outfits during games. At Yell Practice, they wear overalls. It’s been the same way for decades. Longhorns logos with broken horns are painted onto the outfits as Yell Leaders start their monologue by saying “got a little story for you, Ags.”
“This rivalry has been rooted in tradition since 1894,” Carter said. “It’s overcome world wars, economic depression and many historical events. It’s more than about football. It’s about who we are as Texans and truly who we are and strive to be as people.”
Carter spoke about A&M’s core values and what it means to be an Aggie. The crowd “whooped” in unison.
“And unlike going to Walmart and buying a shirt and calling yourself a t.u. fan, wearing this Aggie ring and being a part of the 12th Man, it cannot be bought or mimicked, it must be earned.”