Since moving here I've always gotten entertainment from the dynamics of the Aggies/Longhorns rivalry. I've had many more friends who are Aggies than Horns and I've enjoyed pricking them about how the Horns just don't care about them. That makes them madder than anything.
Watching this drama unfold around the Aggies quest to flee to the SEC has reminded me of just how deep these feelings run on the A&M side. After all, there is nothing worse than hating someone who doesn't even hate you back. The Ags spend so much energy hating the Horns, but the Horns just go along ignoring them and spending their energy on OU.
Great rivalries require that both schools know deep down that they are hating someone equal to them. Or at least they are on the same level. LSU doesn't hate LaTech and OU doesn't hate Tulsa. Unfortunately for the Aggies, Texas looks at them like nothing more than Texas St. They are embarrassed if they lose to A&M, but that's all.
That's what makes A&M hate Texas more than anything: the Horns don't respect them as equals. So, this SEC flirtation is ultimately viewed by the Aggie faithful as a way to ultimately trump their nemesis. If they were to move to the better conference and rise to that level of play, then they would get their ultimate revenge on Texas by achieving a respect level that they can never get now.
That may not be the reason that the A&M powers publicly state is their reason for leaving, but deep down that's where this is rooted. The Aggies want respect and they feel the SEC will bring it to them.
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