“LSU is a natural rival for A&M”
Based on what?
LSU already has rivals in the SEC and has no need for A&M as a rival.
What the Aggies did not understand is that to be a real rivalry, both schools must feel the same way.
The Aggies saw UT as their major rival, but OU is Texas rival and Texas is OU’s rival.
And now that the Aggies have divorced themselves from the Big 12 they are discovering that divorce is final.
Rivalries just don't depend on whether or not both teams are good. Yes, LSU and Bama is a great game, because both schools are good, but are they really rivals, like Florida and Georgia? A rival should be a school where, even if you only win one game, you want it to be against that school.
As Missouri will find when they join the SEC and become the conference team that makes Vandy and Ole Miss look good. There was a piece in the paper over the weekend on how Missouri hopes that they can keep the Border War alive with Kansas, and they're getting the same reaction that A&M is getting. Rivalries are almost always between conference partners where the game means more. In walking away from their conferences, A&M and Mizzou want to have their cake and eat it too. That ain't gonna happen. Nor should it. And their plaintive wail of "We wanted to continue the rivalries but Texas and Kansas said no" is really ridiculous.
A&M didn't get kicked out of the Big ? ... but left by choice.
In years past A&M and LSU played and it was a natural rivalry...and will grow. There are a LOT of LSU grads in Texas...especially in SE TX.
tu could schedule the T-day game...but they have to punish A&M for not doing what they were told to do...by tu.