AggieJohn
07-21-2005, 12:29 PM
HOUSTON - Add some Aggies players to the list of people opposed to moving the Texas Tech-Texas A&M football game to a neutral site.
"As long as I'm here, I want to play in Lubbock every time we can,'' A&M senior linebacker Archie McDaniel said.
All three players on hand Tuesday to represent A&M at the annual Big 12 Conference preseason media days said they'd prefer to see Tech-A&M games stay at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock and Kyle Field in College Station.
Discussions have been ongoing to move the game to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, most likely to Texas Stadium in Irving at the beginning and then to the Dallas Cowboys' proposed new stadium at Arlington.
"I think if we do that, then we should play every school at a neutral site,'' A&M senior safety Jaxson Appel said. "That's why they call (the conventional arrangement) home-field advantage, because that's what it is. Their fans do a good enough job to give them home-field advantage, and the team that comes in just has to overcome that.''
A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal had a miserable first game in Lubbock, losing 59-28 as a sophomore in 2003, but McNeal said moving the Tech-A&M game "wouldn't be right.''
"I like playing on the road anyway, because when you win on the road everybody is hush-mouthed in the stands,'' McNeal said. "I wouldn't (move) it, because I like traveling and playing at their home and they can come to our home.''
Being seniors, McNeal, McDaniel and Appel won't be affected, because their college careers will be over before the game left the campus sites, but they'd just as soon keep the games where they are.
"I know especially with us, we haven't went to Tech and won in a long time,'' McDaniel said. "That's a goal we've set for ourselves, to be able to go to Lubbock and get a victory.''
The last chance for this group of Aggies seniors will be Nov. 5, when Tech hosts A&M. The Aggies haven't won at Jones SBC Stadium since 1993.
"Going to Lubbock is always difficult,'' McDaniel said. "They've always had a hostile type environment. But I think that just helps us get ready to play. It helps us practice on keeping composure. That's a key ingredient in getting road victories like that.''
Even though he said Lubbock was the toughest place for A&M to play, McNeal sounded as if he relished the atmosphere.
"It's rough up there, especially for us,'' McNeal said. "It's wild. The fans are wild. But you can have fun with them, too. I like going up there. It's cool.''
A&M coach Dennis Franchione said he does not know where the discussions stand.
"Obviously, I like not going to Lubbock, probably like Tech likes not going to Kyle Field,'' Franchione said. "I hate not playing in Kyle Field, but there's some positives to playing in Dallas for us, from a recruiting standpoint, from the ability to showcase ourselves a little bit more in the Metroplex.''
Unlike the players, Franchione played it safe rather than choosing to weigh on which way he'd vote.
"I don't think anybody gives a flip where I am on it,'' he said. "I just take the schedule and go play where they tell me. I guess the safe thing to say is I have mixed emotions.''
Only four of the Big 12 schools were scheduled during the first day of the three-day preseason event. Tech coach Mike Leach and players E.J. Whitley and Khalid Naziruddin are scheduled for today's session.
"As long as I'm here, I want to play in Lubbock every time we can,'' A&M senior linebacker Archie McDaniel said.
All three players on hand Tuesday to represent A&M at the annual Big 12 Conference preseason media days said they'd prefer to see Tech-A&M games stay at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock and Kyle Field in College Station.
Discussions have been ongoing to move the game to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, most likely to Texas Stadium in Irving at the beginning and then to the Dallas Cowboys' proposed new stadium at Arlington.
"I think if we do that, then we should play every school at a neutral site,'' A&M senior safety Jaxson Appel said. "That's why they call (the conventional arrangement) home-field advantage, because that's what it is. Their fans do a good enough job to give them home-field advantage, and the team that comes in just has to overcome that.''
A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal had a miserable first game in Lubbock, losing 59-28 as a sophomore in 2003, but McNeal said moving the Tech-A&M game "wouldn't be right.''
"I like playing on the road anyway, because when you win on the road everybody is hush-mouthed in the stands,'' McNeal said. "I wouldn't (move) it, because I like traveling and playing at their home and they can come to our home.''
Being seniors, McNeal, McDaniel and Appel won't be affected, because their college careers will be over before the game left the campus sites, but they'd just as soon keep the games where they are.
"I know especially with us, we haven't went to Tech and won in a long time,'' McDaniel said. "That's a goal we've set for ourselves, to be able to go to Lubbock and get a victory.''
The last chance for this group of Aggies seniors will be Nov. 5, when Tech hosts A&M. The Aggies haven't won at Jones SBC Stadium since 1993.
"Going to Lubbock is always difficult,'' McDaniel said. "They've always had a hostile type environment. But I think that just helps us get ready to play. It helps us practice on keeping composure. That's a key ingredient in getting road victories like that.''
Even though he said Lubbock was the toughest place for A&M to play, McNeal sounded as if he relished the atmosphere.
"It's rough up there, especially for us,'' McNeal said. "It's wild. The fans are wild. But you can have fun with them, too. I like going up there. It's cool.''
A&M coach Dennis Franchione said he does not know where the discussions stand.
"Obviously, I like not going to Lubbock, probably like Tech likes not going to Kyle Field,'' Franchione said. "I hate not playing in Kyle Field, but there's some positives to playing in Dallas for us, from a recruiting standpoint, from the ability to showcase ourselves a little bit more in the Metroplex.''
Unlike the players, Franchione played it safe rather than choosing to weigh on which way he'd vote.
"I don't think anybody gives a flip where I am on it,'' he said. "I just take the schedule and go play where they tell me. I guess the safe thing to say is I have mixed emotions.''
Only four of the Big 12 schools were scheduled during the first day of the three-day preseason event. Tech coach Mike Leach and players E.J. Whitley and Khalid Naziruddin are scheduled for today's session.