Public Policy Polling results released on Wednesday show that the Texas Longhorns still lead the Texas A&M Aggies by a substantial margin in college sports loyalty across the state, 26 percent to 16 percent.
Houston (12 percent), Texas Tech (9 percent), Baylor (6 percent), and TCU (6 percent) round out the schools polled.
The news for Texas is positive considering that a Nielson report from 2015 indicated that support for the ‘Horns in Houston dropped by 30 percent over the preceding five years, while support for the Aggies increased by 26 percent. The changing trends resulted in A&M fans outnumbering Texas fans 24 percent to 18 percent.
In Dallas, a similar scenario played out, with support for the Aggies up 24 percent and the support for the Longhorns down 31 percent among adults during that time period.
However, despite those trends in individual seasons and a 5-7 season from Texas in 2015 that marked another in a long line of disappointing campaigns for the burnt orange on the gridiron, the overall statewide support still far surpasses that of the maroon and white faithful.
The Aggies can escape to the SEC and benefit from the boost associated with playing in the nation’s premier football conference, but the Longhorns still dominate the state.