Let’s start with the obvious question. What’s the point of this piece?

First, it’s the offseason. And second… since our move to the SEC, larger and larger pieces of our fanbase have adopted a perverse, alternative, almost unsporting view of how Texas A&M Athletics should be graded. Phrases like “market reach”, “brand exposure”, and “revenue stream” are used to argue superiority, when these arguments are best served by one metric and one metric only: winning.

That’s the goal of this article - to build a case for Texas A&M’s Big Three men’s programs, relative to the rest of the Power Five, strictly in the context of these questions:

How many Big Three titles have you won in the modern era?

If you haven’t won a title in the modern era, how close have you come?

How many times did you make it to that stage?

Yes, we’re tracking proximity to a national title above all else. In our basketball metrics, for example, a program with one magical Final Four appearance (sup, South Carolina) outranks a program with multiple Elite Eights that has not made the Final Four (sorry, Virginia). We’re not celebrating strings of above average seasons, and we’re not applauding the majesty of “a program with a high floor.” We are simply tracking how often (and effectively) each major program cycles up.

Warning: This is going to sting.

Football (by whoopy)

Modern era definition: Scholarships limited to 85 per team (1994 - present)

Graded criteria: Champion, Runner-up, Playoff/Top 5 finish (AP Final Poll), Top 10 finish (AP Final Poll),

Texas A&M Power Five Rank: 34th (of 65)

Texas A&M SEC Rank: 9th (of 14)

Comparing College Football with College Basketball and College Baseball is similar to comparing apples and oranges since football does not have the same type of end of year tournament. The four team playoff is a nice start. We had to be somewhat creative to measure championship success for football programs.

The expectations surrounding the Texas A&M football program have been, and continue to be, set very high. However, these expectations do not match up with the level of success in a championship context.

Football - Modern Era Comparison University Conference Titles NC Appearance Top 5 Finishes/CFP appearance Top 10 Finishes University Conference Titles NC Appearance Top 5 Finishes/CFP appearance Top 10 Finishes Ohio State B1G 2002, 2014 2002, 2006, 2007, 2014 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 16 Alabama SEC 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 2017 1994, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 13 Florida State ACC 1999, 2013 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013, 2014 11 Florida SEC 1996, 2006, 2008 1995, 1996, 2006, 2008 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009 11 Oklahoma BigXII 2000 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017 12 USC PAC12 2003, 2004 2004, 2005 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016 9 Nebraska B1G 1994, 1995, 1997 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999 7 LSU SEC 2003, 2007 2003, 2007, 2011 2003, 2006, 2007, 2011 7 Texas BigXII 2005 2005, 2009 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 7 Oregon PAC12 2010, 2014 2001, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 8 Georgia SEC 2017 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 9 Miami ACC 2001 1994, 2001, 2002 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 5 Tennessee SEC 1998 1997, 1998 1995, 1998, 2001 6 Auburn SEC 2010 2010, 2013 2004, 2010, 2013 6 Clemson ACC 2016 2015, 2016 2015, 2016, 2017 4 Penn State B1G 1994, 2005 7 Virginia Tech ACC 1999 7 TCU BigXII 2010, 2014 6 Michigan B1G 1997, 1999 6 Wisconsin B1G 1999 7 Michigan State B1G 2013, 2014 4 Stanford PAC12 2010, 2015 4 Kansas State BigXII 6 Colorado PAC12 1994, 1995 4 Utah PAC12 2004, 2008 3 Washington PAC12 2000, 2016 2 Iowa B1G 5 Notre Dame* LOL 2012 2012 2 West Virginia BigXII 2005 3 Washington State PAC12 4 UCLA PAC12 1997 3 Missouri SEC 2007, 2013 2 South Carolina SEC 2013 3 Texas A&M SEC 2012 2 (1994, 2012) Arizona State PAC12 1996 1 Louisville ACC 2 Georgia Tech ACC 2 Oklahoma State BigXII 2011 1 Oregon State PAC12 2000 1 North Carolina ACC 2 Kansas BigXII 2 Arizona PAC12 1998 1 Arkansas SEC 2011 1 Northwestern B1G 1 Baylor BigXII 1 California PAC12 1 Boston College ACC 1 Mississippi SEC 1 Syracuse B1G Pittsburgh ACC Wake Forest ACC Illinois B1G Maryland ACC Purdue B1G Rutgers B1G Duke ACC North Carolina State ACC Virginia ACC Iowa State BigXII Texas Tech BigXII Indiana B1G Minnesota B1G Kentucky SEC Mississippi State SEC Vanderbilt SEC

There are 17 different teams in this data range that have played in what counted as a National Championship Game. (The Pre-BCS era was a weird time). Of those 17 teams, 14 have played in multiple National Title games, while Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Georgia have appeared only once in this time frame (all lost). Texas A&M joins a list of 48 total Power 5 schools that have not participated in a National Title game in the last 24 years.

In 2012, Johnny Manziel gave A&M its closest chance at championship; however, the early-season Florida loss set Alabama up to play in the Championship game against Notre Dame (after winning the SEC Championship). Prior to the AP Top 5 finish in 2012, the last top 10 finish for A&M came in 1994. Compare that to non-Power 5 team Boise State that has had four top 10 finishes, two of which were top 5 finishes; or UCF that has had two top 10 finishes since 2013.

Texas A&M Football is one of six teams that has two or fewer top 10 finishes, one top 5 finish, and is without a playoff or National Championship game appearance in this span. These teams include: Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Oregon State, Arizona, and Arkansas.

Basketball (by gigthem08)

Modern era definition: NCAA Tournament Field expands to 64 teams (1985 - present)

Graded criteria: Champion, Runner-up, Final Four, Elite Eight, Sweet Sixteen

Texas A&M Power Five Rank: T-50th (of 65)

Texas A&M SEC Rank: 12th (of 14)

As you might expect, it was not very difficult to leverage a massive tournament with mountains of historical data. As you might also expect, Texas A&M Basketball does not hold up very well to a deep dive centered around championship contention. Let’s hit the carnage.

Basketball - Modern Era Comparison Squad Titles Runner Up Final Four Elite 8 Sweet 16 Squad Titles Runner Up Final Four Elite 8 Sweet 16 Duke 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 1986, 1990, 1994, 1999 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2018 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 North Carolina 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 2016 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 Kentucky 1996, 1998, 2012 1997, 2014 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 1986, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 1985, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 Kansas 1988, 2008 1991, 2003, 2012 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2018 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 Florida 2006, 2007 2000 1994, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2014 1994, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 1987*, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 Louisville 1986, 2013* 1986, 2005, 2012*, 2013* 1986, 1997, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012*, 2013*, 2015* 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2015* Michigan 1989 1992*, 1993*, 2013, 2018 1989, 1992*, 1993*, 2013, 2018 1989, 1992, 1993*, 1994, 2013, 2014, 2018 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993*, 1994, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 Michigan State 2000 2009 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015 1986, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Syracuse 2003 1996 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013, 2016 1987, 1989, 1996, 2003, 2012*, 2013, 2016 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012*, 2013, 2016, 2018 Arizona 1997 2001 1988, 1994, 1997, 2001 1988, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2015 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 UCLA 1995 2006 1995, 2006, 2007, 2008 1992, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2008 1990, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017 Indiana 1987 2002 1987, 1992, 2002 1987, 1992, 1993, 2002 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2016 Arkansas 1994 1995 1990, 1994, 1995 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 Maryland 2002 2001, 2002 2001, 2002 1985, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016 Oklahoma 1988 1988, 2002, 2016 1985, 1988, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2016 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2015, 2016 Ohio State 2007 1999*, 2007, 2012 1992, 1999*, 2007, 2012, 2013 1991, 1992, 1999*, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Wisconsin 2015 2000, 2014, 2015 2000, 2005, 2014, 2015 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Illinois 2005 1989, 2005 1989, 2001, 2005 1985, 1989, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 Georgia Tech 2004 1990, 2004 1985, 1990, 2004 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2004 Utah 1998 1998 1997, 1998 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2015 Oklahoma State 1995, 2004 1995, 2000, 2004 1991, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2005 LSU 1986, 2006 1986, 1987, 2006 1986, 1987, 2000, 2006 Texas 2003 1990, 2003, 2006, 2008 1990, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 Oregon 2017 2002, 2007, 2016, 2017 2002, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017 Stanford 1998 1998, 2001 1997, 1998, 2001, 2008, 2014 Minnesota 1997 1990, 1997* 1989, 1990, 1997* West Virginia 2010 2010 1998, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018 Mississippi State 1996 1996 1995, 1996 South Carolina 2017 2017 2017 Virginia 1989, 1995, 2016 1989, 1993, 1995, 2014, 2016 Missouri 1994*, 2002, 2009 1989, 1994*, 2002, 2009 Kansas State 1988, 2010, 2018 1988, 2010, 2018 Purdue 1994, 2000 1988, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2018 North Carolina State 1985, 1986 1985, 1986, 1989, 2005, 2012, 2015 Notre Dame* 2015, 2016 1987, 2003, 2015, 2016 Baylor 2010, 2012 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017 Florida State 1993, 2018 1992, 1993, 2011, 2018 Alabama 2004 1985, 1986, 1987*, 1990, 1991, 2004 Tennessee 2010 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014 Pittsburgh 2009 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009 Iowa State 2000 1986, 1997, 2000, 2014, 2016 Wake Forest 1996 1993, 1995, 1996, 2004 Auburn 1986 1985, 1986, 1999, 2003 Iowa 1987 1987, 1988, 1999 Boston College 1994 1985, 2006 Texas Tech 2018 2005, 2018 USC 2001 2001, 2007 Washington 1998, 2005, 2006, 2010 Vanderbilt 1988,1993, 2004, 2007 Clemson 1990*, 1997, 2018 Miami 2000, 2013, 2016 Texas A&M 2007, 2016, 2018 California 1993, 1997 Penn State 2001 Arizona State 1995 Washington State 2008 Georgia 1996 Mississippi 2001 Virginia Tech TCU Nebraska Northwestern Rutgers Colorado Oregon State

The list of schools that haven’t made an Elite Eight in the modern era are not exactly great company. We get a small bump for our multiple Sweet Sixteen appearances, but our inability to join the list of forty seven P5 schools with an Elite Eight appearance is a tough pill to swallow.

We ultimately found a home among the likes of Clemson, Miami, California, Washington, and Vanderbilt. All schools with multiple Sweet Sixteen appearances, and all riding a 30+ year drought without an Elite Eight appearance.

Let’s talk about something else.

Baseball (by gigthem08)

Modern era definition: Field expands to 64 (1988 - present)

Graded criteria: Champion, Runner-up, Omaha Appearance

Texas A&M Power Five Rank: T-25th (of 65)

Texas A&M SEC Rank: 9th (of 14)

The nation does not love college baseball like we do… a lesson that was hammered home while attempting to research this section. The result is an imperfect rating system that is based on criteria that were easily found and categorized: Titles, Runner-Up finishes, and trips to Omaha.

This section is as good as it gets, and it’s still not that great.

Baseball - Modern Era Comparison Team Title Runner Up College World Series Team Title Runner Up College World Series LSU 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009 2017 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017 Oregon State 2006, 2007, 2018 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2018 Texas 2002, 2005 1989, 2004, 2009 1989, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2018 South Carolina 2010, 2011 2002, 2012 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012 Miami 1999, 2001 1996 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2016 Stanford 1988 2000, 2001, 2003 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008 Florida 2017 2005, 2011 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Georgia 1990 2008 1990, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008 Virginia 2015 2014 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015 UCLA 2013 2010 1997, 2010, 2012, 2013 USC 1998 1995 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001 Vanderbilt 2014 2015 2011, 2014, 2015 Arizona 2012 2016 2004, 2012, 2016 Oklahoma 1994 1992, 1994, 1995, 2010 North Carolina 2006, 2007 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2018 Arizona State 1988, 1998 1988, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2005, 2007*, 2009, 2010 Florida State 1999 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2017 Arkansas 2018 1989, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 Mississippi State 2013 1990, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2013, 2018 Oklahoma State 1990 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2016 Alabama 1997 1996, 1997, 1999 Georgia Tech 1994 1994, 2002, 2006 Clemson 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2010 TCU 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Louisville 2007, 2013, 2014, 2017 Texas A&M 1993, 1999, 2011, 2017 Texas Tech 2014, 2016, 2018 Nebraska 2001, 2002, 2005 Tennessee 1995, 2001, 2005 California 1988, 1992, 2011 Auburn 1994, 1997 Washington 2018 Mississippi 2014 North Carolina State 2013 Indiana 2013 Baylor 2005 Notre Dame* 2002 Kansas 1993 Boston College Duke Pittsburgh Syracuse Virginia Tech Wake Forest Kansas State Iowa State West Virginia Illinois Iowa Maryland Michigan Michigan State Minnesota Northwestern Ohio State Penn State Purdue Rutgers Wisconsin Colorado Oregon Utah Washington State Missouri Kentucky

Let’s start with the obvious - the lack of reliable information paints Texas A&M in a pretty positive light. By skipping straight from “CWS appearance” to “Runner Up,” we’re able to blur the lines between TCU (eight CWS wins between 2014-2017 without an appearance in the final series) and Texas A&M (famously without a CWS win across three sporadic appearances).

And y’all, college baseball ain’t exactly a priority across the Power Five. Almost half of the PAC 12 and the ACC haven’t sniffed Omaha during our timetable, and the Big Ten (if you can believe this) is looking at a 30 year stretch where only two universities have modern trips to the College World Series. One of those two schools? Nebraska… during their Big XII days. This deck is about as stacked as we could hope to find across this time period, and we’re still winless in Omaha.

Overall, 14 universities have grabbed a title during this stretch, with another eight grabbing a runner-up appearance. The Aggies land among Cal, Texas Tech, Louisville, and Tennessee in a pile of teams that have made Omaha trips with little noise.

Again, this is unequivocally our most successful program.

Multi-Sport (by gigthem08)

Now, we arrive at the hammer. The multi-sport comparison. The purpose of the entire exercise. A comprehensive look at championship caliber seasons across the Big Three sports for every University in the Power Five.

First, a quick primer

Championships and runner-up appearances count the same across all sports

Final Fours, CFP Playoff appearances, and “Top 5” final poll appearances (pre-CFP) count as “Tier Two” seasons

Elite Eights, CWS appearances, and “Top 10” final poll appearances count as “Tier Three” seasons

Sweet Sixteens and Conference Titles (football only) count as “Tier Four” seasons

Beyond that, the table is pretty straightforward. We’re sorting strictly in the context of “what is your best season,” and breaking ties by checking how many times each school made it to their ceiling.

Abandon all hope, ye who proceed beyond this point

Big Three - Modern Era Comparison University Titles Runner Up Tier Two Tier Three Tier Four University Titles Runner Up Tier Two Tier Three Tier Four LSU 8 2 6 26 8 Florida 6 4 13 32 17 Duke 5 4 12 15 24 Alabama 5 2 8 17 12 North Carolina 4 3 11 27 22 Texas 3 4 6 23 12 Miami 3 3 4 21 8 Kentucky 3 2 8 16 20 USC 3 2 8 14 11 Nebraska 3 1 4 10 4 Oregon State 3 0 1 7 1 Oklahoma 2 4 11 22 21 Florida State 2 4 9 26 17 Ohio State 2 3 13 21 18 Kansas 2 3 9 18 23 Arizona 2 2 5 14 17 UCLA 2 2 5 13 15 South Carolina 2 2 2 10 1 Louisville 2 0 4 14 16 Michigan 1 4 7 13 14 Stanford 1 3 3 16 9 Georgia 1 2 4 14 4 Arkansas 1 2 4 11 6 Michigan State 1 1 9 13 18 Syracuse 1 1 5 7 17 Clemson 1 1 3 11 7 Tennessee 1 1 3 10 7 Auburn 1 1 3 9 7 Indiana 1 1 3 5 10 Virginia 1 1 0 7 5 Vanderbilt 1 1 0 3 4 Maryland 1 0 2 2 10 Oregon 0 2 6 12 12 Georgia Tech 0 2 2 8 7 Arizona State 0 2 1 9 3 Wisconsin 0 1 4 11 15 Oklahoma State 0 1 3 9 7 Utah 0 1 3 5 11 Illinois 0 1 2 3 7 Mississippi State 0 1 1 7 2 Notre Dame* 0 1 1 5 4 Virginia Tech 0 1 0 7 7 TCU 0 0 2 11 8 Penn State 0 0 2 7 5 Missouri 0 0 2 5 4 West Virginia 0 0 2 4 12 Colorado 0 0 2 4 1 Washington 0 0 2 3 7 Texas A&M 0 0 1 6 4 Minnesota 0 0 1 2 3 Kansas State 0 0 0 9 5 Iowa 0 0 0 6 5 Baylor 0 0 0 4 6 California 0 0 0 4 3 Washington State 0 0 0 4 3 Texas Tech 0 0 0 4 2 North Carolina State 0 0 0 3 6 Purdue 0 0 0 2 10 Boston College 0 0 0 2 3 Mississippi 0 0 0 2 1 Pittsburgh 0 0 0 1 6 Iowa State 0 0 0 1 5 Wake Forest 0 0 0 1 5 Northwestern 0 0 0 1 3 Rutgers 0 0 0 0 1

A few quick hitters:

19 (of 65) Power Five Universities have won multiple Big Three national titles in the modern era

32 Power Five Universities have won at least one Big Three national title in the modern era

An additional 10 Universities have not won a national title, but have made an appearance in a national title game

Beyond those 42 schools, an additional six have had multiple “tier two” seasons

And finally… finally we arrive at Texas A&M. Tied for 49th among 65 Power Five schools with only one “tier two” season (2012 Football). Our friends in 49th place? The Minnesota Golden Gophers, proud owners of a Final Four appearance in 1997.

Beneath A&M and Minnesota… the dregs of the world. The 15 schools that haven’t had a Top Five pre-CFP finish in football, a playoff appearance in football, a Final Four appearance, or an appearance in the CWS Championship Series. I’m not going to lie - it wouldn’t be too difficult to develop slightly different criteria that placed a few of these schools above us… but it’s nice to know that things could technically be worse.

Adding salt to the wound - a list of schools from outside the Power Five that would rank equal to or higher than Texas A&M in this exercise: Loyola Chicago, Wichita State, VCU, Memphis, Georgetown, George Mason, Marquette, UMass, UNLV, Xavier, Butler, UConn, Gonzaga, Boise State, Coastal Carolina, Villanova and Seton Hall.

So Let’s Recap (by whoopy)

Freaking Minnesota. Prior to this experiment, we certainly did not consider Minnesota to be anywhere near the same level as Texas A&M’s big three sports. For starters, Texas A&M Athletic Department revenue for 2017 was $211,960,034; while Minnesota’s revenue was $116,376,862. The expectations, and money, we as Aggies have is up there with programs that have won championships in one, two, or all three of these sports. The results do not match up to expectations.

History is not on Texas A&M’s side, but history does not mean the future can’t change. Teams have risen from obscurity to win it all. Most notably, Clemson, who compares similarly with Texas A&M in basketball, baseball, and pre-2015 football as Clemson historically has not been a contender. Now, Clemson has played their way into the national conversation by making the CFP each of the last three seasons and winning it all in 2016. Clemson football is now elite, and coming to College Station this fall.

Of Texas A&M’s big 3, it looks like Baseball is the closest to getting over the hump, but the lack of appearances or wins in Omaha is a big hump to overcome. Football made the biggest commitment by hiring Jimbo Fisher, a coach that has a national championship and has A&M recruiting at a very high level. Basketball had a large number of key players leave for the draft...wait...let’s not talk about basketball right now…

How do these results match up with your outlook and expectations of these sports teams? Let us know in the comments.