AUSTIN, Texas — Across Central Texas on Saturday night, most eyes were on College Station as the Longhorns took on the Aggies.
Fans were pumped for the return of the rivalry game and a trip to the SEC title game on the line.
During the game, the atmosphere on West Sixth Street was electric.
"It's just two giants colliding," Longhorn fan Landon Donovan said.
There were loud cheers throughout the night at the bars, but maybe none bigger and louder than when the game kicked off, signaling the official return of the rivalry. Texas topped Texas A&M 17-7 to punch a ticket to play in the SEC title game against Georgia next week.
Donovan said he is thrilled the rivalry has been revived.
"I thought it would be cool, and now that it is here, you hear how excited everybody is," he said. "It's a cool feeling seeing them finally play each other again."
Up and down West Sixth Street, bars were packed on Saturday night, filled with Aggie and Longhorn fans who could make the trip to attend the game in person. The average ticket cost to get into the game is $1,027, making it the most expensive college football game ever.
Aggie fans Meilen Olazabar and Sophia Mora grew up in Austin but went to Texas A&M. The two watched the game at a bar on West Sixth Street with friends.
"It was fun being down here and enjoying the game," Olazabar said. "Even though we lost, gig 'em Aggie, we were not that sad. It's fun being down here. We had a good time."
The rivalry began in 1894 and continued for 118 consecutive years until 2011. The game holds a ton of significance for fans, not just in stakes for playoff hopes but also as a clash of cultures and manifestation of the rivalry between the two schools outside of just sports. There are friendships and households divided by the deep-rooted rivalry between the two schools.
In a sign of those divisions, some bars downtown are flying both Texas and Texas A&M flags this weekend.
The rivalry began in 1894 and continued for 118 consecutive years until 2011. This long-standing tradition created a deep-rooted rivalry between the two schools.
While the football rivalry has been dormant since 2011, both fan bases' passion and disdain have remained strong.
"I live with an A&M fan, so I am excited to hold this over him for the next 364 days of the year," Landon Stevens said.
Despite all the disdain each side has for the other, they do agree they are happy to have the rivalry back.
"It was a great game," Longhorn fan Matt Elizalde said. "Longhorns kind of scared me a bit, but then they did what they did against the Aggies and Texas A&M."
For fans of both teams, winning the game means a lot. The desire to beat the other team is so strong that Aggie fans said the 2011 loss, punctuated by a 40-yard field goal by Justin Tucker in the game's final seconds to lift the Longhorns to a 27-25 victory, has stung for the last decade. It will continue to sting as it looks like the bragging rights are staying in Austin.