Mike Elko on Missouri being an annual opponent: 'It is what it is'

On3’s Chris Low broke news about which games will become annual for each SEC team on Monday morning. With the league expanding to nine conference games, three of the same opponents will be played every year, while rotating through the rest of the SEC. Naturally, some schools are happier than others about their three.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko gave his reaction to the Aggies facing the LSU Tigers, Missouri Tigers, and Texas Longhorns annually. Two of them make perfect sense in Elko’s mind. The other one… maybe not so much.

“It’s good, obviously, that we’re playing the in-state rivalry,” Elko said. “You know, it’s always good to play LSU. Missouri — I’m not sure how that fit in but it is what it is. However they did that, it will be fine.”

When it comes to the SEC, there is plenty of shared history between Missouri and Texas A&M — just not on the field. The two schools left in the Big 12 together in favor of the SEC, joining before the 2012 football season. Arguably the biggest realignment move of that time period, Mizzou settled into the SEC East, while the Aggies got thrown into the SEC West fire.

Because of those divisions, there are only five head-to-head games between them as members of the SEC. One came last season, getting paired up once divisions were taken out by the conference. Before then, one matchup over a decade span for Missouri and Texas A&M.

Now, by the time the SEC reevaluates annual opponents heading into the 2030 season, there will be six consecutive showdowns between them. Whether or not the fanbases are excited, we will have to wait and see. But Elko’s reaction tells us those inside the building in College Station may not.

This year’s game takes place on Nov. 8, a return trip to Columbia after Texas A&M took care of business handily inside Kyle Field last season. If the SEC wants some buzz to pick up surrounding this game, given its decision to make it an annual one, maybe a close result between the two would be good.

Either way, there will at least be plenty of buzz for the other two games involving LSU and Texas. Getting the in-state rivalry back is massive for both the Aggies and Longhorns, revitalizing over 100 years of history between them. As for LSU, it’s a new-school rivalry Texas A&M has enjoyed since joining the SEC.