Sep 13, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko celebrates after the game against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

A Vacation Trip To Cabo Could Save The Aggies' Season

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By JD Andress | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 10:00 AM ET

For the Texas A&M Aggies, a 4-0 start marks the first time since 2016, indicating that this season's team is built to win now. However, the games haven't come without self-inflicted wounds in the penalty department, something head coach Mike Elko is very aware of.

He even mentioned the issue during his weekly press conference with the media, poking fun at the situation, saying a vacation fund for the coaches had been started that players would contribute to if they drew penalties from here on out.

While Elko says the comment in jest, it could be an issue to solve the problem that has plagued the Aggies since the beginning of the 2025 season.

It's Five O'clock Somewhere

In their 16-10 win over the Auburn Tigers, the Aggies committed 12 penalties to the Auburn Tigers' 10 in the contest. Of those 12, eight were on offense, and four were on defense, but two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties came from the offensive side of the ball, something that only hindered them even further as the offense struggled to establish a rhythm in the game.

The Aggies are the most penalized team on a per-game basis, averaging 9.5 penalties, which is 6th in the SEC in total penalties, despite playing one fewer game than nine of the other teams in the conference. They average 77.5 penalty yards per game, a mark that is third in their conference, behind only Mississippi State and their biggest rivals, the Texas Longhorns. Elko, though, might have the perfect way to fix it.

"Alright, so I'll let you guys in on it," Elko said to the media. "I've tried all kinds of things, so today what we started was the Texas A&M football coaches' Cabo fund. So what's going to happen now is, every time one of our players gets a penalty, they are going to contribute to the coaches' Cabo fund. So we will see if that works."

Now, in a world of NIL, financial incentives to be disciplined might actually come to fruition for the Aggies, as a way to hold them accountable. Figuring out a way to limit the penalties, even if the comments were made in jest, could help Elko's squad fix the program that is holding them back from being one of the most dominant teams in the country.

For the Aggies, this week's matchup against the Bulldogs will be a big test, as both of them rank in the top three in penalties, and with a vacation fund on the line, they might play their cleanest game of the season.

The Aggies host the Bulldogs on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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