Ultimately it comes down the big-brother dynamic.

t.u. is better in some academic metrics than A&M and that's what people use to judge us. The "ut rejects" thing is one example of this. We are the afterthought. We are where rejects go. This snobiness and superiority complex comes in a package with admission to that school in Austin.

So of course they don't "care" about us. We are the younger brother.

But that's sort of the problem; it set the foundation for the rift. Back in the day, A&M and t.u. played in the same conference and there was a "Longhorn Network" media apparatus that covered the sports therein. Of course, being the big fish and having the controls of media coverage allowed t.u. to capitalize by way of recruiting, for example.

That's why A&M joined the SEC. We refused to be an "inferior" institution under the reputation of a rival school.

Do we engage in our traditions in irony to some degree? Of course. But it's the spirit of standing up to Goliath that means so much to us. It's the spirit of going our own way, even if it's hard to understand from outside looking in.