Oct 11, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko looks on prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

What Mike Elko Said About Texas A&M-Arkansas' Move Back to Campus

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 8:13 PM ET

To many, what makes college football great is playing on campus in front of legions of passionate fans, but unfortunately, the rivalry between the Texas A&M Aggies and Arkansas Razorbacks hasn't had that for years now.

Since the former Southwest Conference foes reignited their rivalry in 2009, 13 of the 16 matchups have been played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The only exceptions came in 2012 and 2013, when the series was a home-and-home in Texas A&M's first two years in the SEC, and 2020, when the game moved to College Station due to COVID.

However, that changes this year, as Saturday's game will be played in Fayetteville. Many are happy to see the rivalry finally return to campus, but Aggies head coach Mike Elko has more mixed thoughts.

Mike Elko on Texas A&M-Arkansas' Move: 'Good and Bad'

During Monday's press conference, Elko acknowledged that the move back to campus is great for fans, but selfishly isn't thrilled with playing another road game this season.

"Well this year I wish it was at AT&T Stadium," Elko told reporters. "Next year, I'd probably be glad it's in Kyle Field…I'm not even sure if it's on the schedule next year. I haven't looked at it. No, obviously, every other year, it's good and bad. It's good for the campuses. It's good to have this game here at Kyle Field when it happens. I'm sure it's great for them to have the game in Fayetteville when it happens.

"The thing from a coaching perspective is when you have to go on the road, you'd way rather go play at a neutral site. When you have an opportunity to play at home, you'd rather play at home. It just kind of is what it is and you've just got to deal with it."

The Aggies enjoyed strong success at AT&T Stadium, winning nine of the 13 games at the venue and nine of 10 since they joined the SEC. Texas A&M's campus is also much closer to the venue than Arkansas' is, so logically, the Aggies would have the crowd advantage more often than not.

As elko alluded to, though, the series will sadly not be played on a regular basis after this year. The Aggies and Razorbacks will meet in 2026 in College Station and Fayetteville in 2028, but won't meet in 2027 or 2029. It's a shame that the matchup will be less frequent as soon as it returns to campus, but alas, that's the reality of conference expansion.

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

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