Texas

Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko Entering ‘Must Win’ Game vs. Notre Dame?

Published

11 months ago

May 18, 2025

Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko Entering ‘Must Win’ Game vs. Notre Dame?

As the Texas A&M Aggies head into Year 2 under head coach Mike Elko, it seems the expectations are rising. That is despite a disappointing finish to his first season, where the Aggies lost four of their final five games.

Yet, after a productive offseason where Texas A&M has garnered praise from the national media as they filled holes on their roster via the transfer portal in addition to signing the nation’s No. 9 ranked recruiting class, there is a narrative building that the Aggies’ season-opening game versus Notre Dame is a “must-win.”

Gigem 247’s Jeff Tarpley is a believer in the notion that the Aggies’ trip to South Bend, Indiana, is a “must-win” as he believes it is time the athletic department and its donors see a return on investment.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“I talked about this last year a little bit in terms of the fact that that if they gave your predecessor 76 million to go away and you come a lot cheaper than that, there’s going to be more pressure on you to perform right away,” Tarpley said during a recent appearance on ESPN Central Texas radio. “It didn’t help that it was Elko’s first game ever and so A&M didn’t have the benefit of either him or his players learning on the job in preseason. But there is going to be even more pressure now since they lost to this same Notre Dame last year to open the season, and they went one and four down the stretch this year.”

Tarpley even went as far as to compare Elko’s situation heading into this coming season to Marcus Freeman’s last year with Notre Dame. The 39-year-old head coach inherited the program from Brian Kelly, who took the Irish as far as an appearance in a national championship game over his 11-year tenure.

Although Freeman got off to a solid start as he won 19 games in his first two seasons with the Irish, there was pressure building for him to take them to that next level of making the College Football Playoff.

However, there is a key difference between the two. According to Tarpley, Elko is now facing similar pressure heading into just his second season in charge of the Aggies. No, it is not job pressure, rather just competitive pressure, as the Aggies are still paying Jimbo Fisher to not be on the sidelines on top of the cost it takes to build a talented roster.

Opening a season on the road is never easy, especially when having to make the trip a potentially hostile enviroment like South Bend. But it is those type of games, where Texas A&M is facing another top-25 ranked team that Elko will be expected to deliver wins against.

Especially so if the goal is make the College Football Playoff, then a season-opening win over the Irish could be an early showcase win for the Aggies on their path to securing a top-12 seed.

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Scouting the women’s NCAA Elite 8 contest between Michigan and Texas

Published

2 hours ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Scouting the women’s NCAA Elite 8 contest between Michigan and Texas

Free Press staff writer Arpan Lobo breaks down the Elite Eight matchup between 1-seed Texas and 2-seed Michigan in the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament.

Fast facts

Matchup: 1-seed Texas (34-3, 13-3, SEC) vs. 2-seed Michigan (28-6, 15-3 Big Ten); 2026 NCAA Tournament Fort Worth-3 regional final.
Tipoff: 7 p.m., March 30; Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas.
TV: ESPN.
Series: 1-0 Texas. The only other meeting between the two programs was in 2018, when Texas won, 69-52.

At stake: Winner advances to the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3-5.

Michigan women’s basketball: Meet the Wolverines

Location: Ann Arbor.
Coach: Kim Barnes Arico (311-150 over 14 seasons at U-M, 487-284 career).
School tournament record: 15-13 in 13 appearances.
Past 10 games: 9-1
Scoring leaders: Olivia Olson, 19.2 points per game; Syla Swords 14.8; Mila Holloway, 12.4.
Rebounding leaders: Olson, 6.2; Brooke Quarles Daniels, 5.2; Te’yala Delfosse, 4.6.
Assist leaders: Holloway, 4.8; Quarles Daniels, 2.9; Olson, 2.5.
3-point leaders: McKenzie Mathurin, 40%; Macy Brown*, 36.1%; Holloway, 34.9%.

*Out for season.

The buzz: Michigan is back to the Elite Eight for only the second time in program history, with its only other appearance being a loss to Louisville in 2022. They’ve outclassed and outworked their first three opponents in the tournament, most recently overcoming an early deficit against Louisville to run away late in a 71-52 victory in the Sweet 16.

Even after slow shooting starts from stars Olson and Swords in their past two contests, the Wolverines have been able to break down their opponents by deploying constant pressure, picking up ballhandlers deep in their own backcourts. They force turnovers and create easy looks in transition. Olson, a third-team AP All-American, was big in the second half against both North Carolina State and Louisville, and has been Michigan’s leading scorer in the tournament.

Another factor aiding Michigan’s run? Outworking their opponents on the glass. Guard Brooke Quarles Daniels, at all of 5-foot-7, had a whopping seven offensive boards against Louisville. Michigan has won the rebounding battle in all three of its tournament games so far.

The Wolverines haven’t met an opponent like Texas yet, and particularly an individual force like Madison Booker.

Texas women’s basketball: Meet the Longhorns

Location: Austin, Texas.
Coach: Vic Schaefer (177-29 at Texas, 478-211 career).
School tournament record: 58-36 in 38 appearances.
Past 10 games: 10-0.
Scoring leaders: Madison Booker, 19.3 points per game; Jordan Lee, 13.5; Kyla Oldacre, 10.4
Rebounding leaders: Booker, 6.7; Oldacre, 6.1; Breya Cunningham, 5.6.
Assist leaders: Rori Harmon, 6.1; Booker, 3.8; Lee, 2.5.
3-point leaders: Harmon, 45.8%; Bryanna Preston, 44.4%; 43.8%.

The buzz: After a dominating season, the Longhorns find themselves a win away from a second consecutive Final Four appearance. And the team’s biggest star is three-time All-American forward Madison Booker, who’s led the Longhorns in scoring on the way to another deep tournament run.

Booker is more than just a scorer, however, and is able to facilitate in half court. Although her 3-point field goal percentage has dipped compared to her sophomore season, she’s still able to provide spacing for Texas. Against Kentucky in the Elite Eight, she totaled 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists on the way to a 76-54 win for Texas that was never really in doubt.

Although the Longhorns have others with better percentages from deep, guard Jordan Lee is the team’s most willing outside shooter, hitting nearly 36% from range on more than three attempts a game.

Against Kentucky, Texas forced 24 Wildcat turnovers. The Longhorns boasted the third-best turnover margin in the country this season. Against a Michigan team that likes to bring pressure as well, the turnover battle could play a sizeable role in determining which program heads to Phoenix. The matchup represents a styles clash as well — the Wolverines are the eighth-best scoring offense in the country at 83.9 points per game, but Texas owns a top-15 scoring defense, limiting opponents to 56.4 points per game.

The contest is also taking place in Fort Worth, a much shorter trip from Austin than from Ann Arbor. The crowd is likely to be behind the Longhorns.

You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com

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Texas

Texas A&M avoids sweep taking Game 3, 9-7, hands Texas rare home loss

Published

14 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Texas A&M avoids sweep taking Game 3, 9-7, hands Texas rare home loss

No. 15 Texas A&M walked out of Austin with a hard‑earned win on Sunday, taking Game 3 of the rivalry series 9–7 to avoid the sweep in what felt every bit like a postseason matchup. The Aggies built an early lead, added crucial insurance late, and held off a furious seventh‑inning push from No. 1 Texas to snap the Longhorns’ nation‑leading win streak.

A&M once again struck first, continuing a trend from the entire weekend. Kennedy Powell’s speed immediately created pressure, turning a single into extra bases after a throwing error. Ariel Kowalewski followed with an RBI double, and Micaela Wark delivered a two‑run home run to give the Aggies a 3–0 advantage before Texas recorded its third out.

The Longhorns answered with a run in the bottom of the first, but KK Dement erased it with a solo shot in the second inning. A&M’s pitching and defense kept Texas quiet for the next three frames until a two‑run double trimmed the lead to 4–3.

With momentum shifting, the Aggies responded with their biggest inning of the series. Frankie Vrazel doubled, Powell doubled her home, and after a walk to Mya Perez, Kowalewski punched a two‑RBI single through the infield. Texas appeared ready to escape the inning, but consecutive defensive errors extended the frame and allowed three more Aggie runs to score, pushing the lead to 9–3 entering the seventh.

Texas refused to fold. The Longhorns put two on with no outs and pushed across a pair of runs, one on a sacrifice fly, another on a groundout. Down to their final out with no one on base, Texas launched back‑to‑back solo home runs to suddenly cut the deficit to two. Sydney Lessentine steadied the moment, inducing a pop‑up to the catcher to close out the win.

Across all three games, the rivalry delivered exactly what it promised. Intensity, high‑level softball, and postseason energy. While Texas claimed the series, the Aggies leave Austin with a top‑25 win, a snapped streak, and a performance that reinforced their ability to compete with anyone in the country.

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Texas

Texas chose John Cornyn as a principled conservative, not a Trump lackey | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Texas chose John Cornyn as a principled conservative, not a Trump lackey | Opinion

Voters deserve better than scorched-earth partisan politics that divide our country.

Getty Images

Not for us

In 35 years as a loyal Republican, I watched my party become unrecognizable. Now, Sen. John Cornyn’s transformation from principled conservative to full-throated Donald Trump sycophant is complete.

In the span of a week, Cornyn reversed his longstanding defense of the Senate filibuster, trying to appease Trump and secure his coveted endorsement. He also co-sponsored the SAVE America Act, which would force Texans to present passports or birth certificates that match their current surnames. Texas voters deserve better than scorched-earth partisan politics that divide our country and paralyze effective governance.

– Malcolm Jacobson, The Woodlands

Real fraud

I am sick and tired of hearing about voter fraud. There isn’t any to speak of, and what has been found was not perpetrated by people in the country illegally. Donald Trump has consistently claimed that there’s rampant fraud. Please show us your evidence, Mr. President. You can’t, because there is none, but people still believe him.

Please wake up to what this man is doing to our country.

– Zelda L Blalock, North Richland Hills

Death penalty

Texas is nearing its 600th execution since the death penalty was reinstated, with three already this year and three more scheduled. It should give us pause to know that four of the offenders are not white.

Legislators and district attorneys should step up, lock up the worst of the worst criminals and end the senseless barbaric practice of the state killing in our name.

– Bob Michael, Grapevine

What reason?

For more than 80 years, nuclear deterrence has kept the world safe from nuclear war, largely because of the power of the U.S. military, skilled diplomacy and moral leadership. Even hostile nations have understood the risks of nuclear engagement.

In just a few weeks, the United States’ war on Iran has cost billions, displaced millions and killed thousands of civilians, according to United Nations and Iranian officials. U.S. military stockpiles are degraded, energy prices are rising and the Iranian people are suffering increased repression.

The Iranian regime and military have been set back, but the country still has much enriched uranium and an even stronger incentive to develop nuclear weapons. It is difficult to understand the need for or benefits of this war.

– Karen Myers, Fort Worth

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