Texas Football: Does Moving Lone Star Showdown Sacrifice Tradition for Money?

According to a recent article in the Austin American-Statesman, the traditional Thanksgiving weekend matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies, known as the Lone Star Showdown, will be moved to December 3 for this upcoming season.

It's not clear whether the game will be moved permanently or if this is a one-time situation brought on by the quickly diminishing Big 12 and the fact that there will not be a Big 12 Championship Game in 2011.

ESPN has expressed a desire to the Big 12 to have a matchup worthy of television on December 3 since the Championship Game will not be played, and the most obvious game to move to that date is one of the conference's biggest rivalries.

Whether or not the Lone Star Showdown will be permanently moved is still up in the air, but what's really at question is whether a price can be placed on tradition.

Die-hard Texas and Texas A&M fans structure their family time for the Thanksgiving holiday around the game.

If it's in Austin, everyone flocks there.

If it's in College Station, plans are made accordingly.

The game is as much of a tradition for loyal fans on both sides as Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkin pie.

In a sense, the Texas athletic department has sold its soul to ESPN in return for the ultimate branding and recruiting vehicle, the Longhorn Network, which will provide 24-hour sports and non-sports programming for the university.

Is it an unspoken caveat that ESPN is expecting certain favors in return? 

If Texas and A&M cave in and agree to move the game, what comes next?

Tradition isn't a concrete concept. It doesn't produce anything tangible.

Ask the average Texas or Texas A&M fan whether their Thanksgiving weekend would feel different without the game between the two traditional rivals, and you can guess the response.

Either way, ESPN and the big money networks could care less.