Texas
New Rival Coaches Steve Sarkisian & Mike Elko United Against New Recruiting Proposal
There are few things that Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies can agree about these days.
Especially now, with the Longhorns invading the SEC, where the Aggies have been attempting to establish their own identity for over a decade.
However, during the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention on Monday in San Antonio, it became clear that Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian and Aggies coach Mike Elko were united on one front – their opposition to moving up Early Signing Day.
The proposed rule, which would have moved up Early Signing Day from December to June – before the start of prospects’ senior seasons – was tabled by college commissioners in June, meaning at some point the discussions could theoretically resurface.
And when asked about the potentially ground breaking new policy, both coaches gave strong stances against it.
“I’m a little bit more hesitant maybe than others to have a signing date in the summer when you are not giving kids the chance to play their senior year of high school football,” Sarkisian said. “I think you learn a lot about players their senior year. We continue to evaluate the tape into the senior season… Development is so critical from ninth grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade.”
Elko echoed Sarkisian Sentiments, but also brought up a separate point of opposition.
According to Elko, the implementation of such a rule could change high school football forever, and result in mass amounts of prospects reclassifying and leaving for college a year early.
Elko its staunchly against such an idea.
“I am 1,000% opposed to that,” Elko said. “If you add a summer signing date, I think you run the risk of creating more kids wanting to reclassify and skip their senior year of high school. If you look at what happened when we moved the signing date to December, now 80 percent of the kids enroll in the spring. If you project that out and move the signing date to June, I think over the course of three, four, five years, you are going to start having 50, 60, 70 percent of the kids reclassifying.”
Fortunately, the discussions about the proposed rule have no timetable to return, and it seems that the current calendar will remain in place for at least the next year of two.
And ccording to Sarkisian, that is what is best for the high school players themselves.
“I kind of like the calendar that we’re having this year, with that signing period in early December and then you get into the portal,” Sarkisian said. “I still think we’re protecting the high school player. Last year, the high school player was not protected, where the signing date was in the middle of December and the portal opened and some schools were dropping high school kids because they were taking the portal kid.”
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When it comes to training the doctors and researchers who will staff hospitals, Texas holds its own on the world stage.
Several Texas health and medical institutions landed on U.S. News and World Report’s 2026-27 Best Global Universities list, with three cracking the global top 500 — led by UT Southwestern Medical Center at No. 113.
The list considered 13 indicators and weights to measure global research performance and reputation, ranking the world’s 2,250 top universities.
Here’s a look at how some major public and private health care and medical universities in Texas fared on the list.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Global Ranking: No. 113.
Location: Dallas, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Baylor College of Medicine
Global Ranking: No. 144.
Location: Houston, Texas.
Type: Private university.
University of Texas Health Science Center — Houston
Global Ranking: No. 324.
Location: Houston, Texas.
Type: Public university.
University of Texas Medical Branch — Galveston
Global Ranking: No. 599.
Location: Galveston, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Global Ranking: No. 1,871.
Location: Lubbock, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
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