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The Texas A&M football team will start a new pregame tradition in 2023, athletic director Ross Bjork revealed. The move was made in hopes of getting fans more engaged as the Aggies trot onto the field.
Unfortunately, the college football world fears that it will instead create another cringeworthy custom in College Station. The decision has been met with criticism though the details of the ritual are not yet known.
Since 2014, the team has entered the field to Kanye West’s “Power.” The school moved on from the intro midway through 2022 following a string of negative headlines surrounding the rap star.
Bjork suggested that the Ags are working to find a new entrance song for the team at Kyle Field. He hinted that the music will be an instrumental, presumably of a song well known amongst TAMU nation.
Ross Bjork says Texas A&M is currently working with an Aggie in music to create an instrumental to use as an entrance “song” at Kyle Field that will get the stadium engaged.
Bjork says the production is “close” and they hope to unveil the new “song” at Midnight Yell on Sept. 2.
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) July 29, 2023
While this should provide a moment of excitement for the Aggie faithful, most are already fearing for the worst. Given the school’s history of embarrassing customs, that line of thinking is justified.
Texas A&M has been the target of mockery over the years due to some of these traditions. In many cases, they almost seem to invite the ridicule.
Much of the criticism stems from the (un)vaunted “Midnight Yell,” led by the school’s yell leaders who make football games feel more like cult meetings on Saturday afternoons.
The night before matchups, these cheerleaders are heard doing their best to make lame jokes about their upcoming opponents. In most instances, the joke’s on them.
That was certainly the case last year when the Aggies lost to App State after calling those associated with the school “hillbillies.” The comedy routine didn’t get much better the following week ahead of a contest against Miami.
The cult-like activities extend far beyond football, but that’s a story for another day.
Given the past, the hesitancy of fans to embrace this new Texas A&M tradition is warranted.
— Doug Keegan (@doug_keegan) July 29, 2023
And we wonder why people ridicule A&M.
— Skip Solis 🇺🇸 (@s_solis44) July 30, 2023
“I need Bjork to consider how this will impact those of us already fighting for our LIFE on this app,” one Aggies supporter hilariously tweeted.
There’s a 112% chance this ends poorly https://t.co/cHy6ku0Yoq
— Rich Mt. Blair (@rich_mt_blair) July 29, 2023
I am so afraid of what this means. https://t.co/aqC5ximqFA
— Ryan Emmons (@emmonsaggie) July 29, 2023
Those outside of Aggie football are chomping at the bit for another chance to roast the program.
I got the rotisserie oven fired up months in advance to roast this https://t.co/gpZEe4Yi3L
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) July 30, 2023
You just know this is going to be A&M level cringe.
— K-Statriot (@KSt8riot) July 29, 2023
We’ll see what the new entrance music consists of come opening weekend. Until then, fans can only hope to avoid another embarrassing moment.