CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Texas A&M University has voted to not bring back the traditional bonfire for the annual celebration of their rivalry with the University of Texas Longhorns.
The bonfire, an Aggie tradition that goes back to 1909, had ended 25 years ago on Nov. 8, 1999 after the 59-foot-tall log stack collapsed during construction. 12 people were killed and 27 more were wounded.
Of the 12 students, one of the dead was Tuloso-Midway graduate Lucas Kimmel.
A campus memorial now stands, and this coming November will mark the 25th anniversary of the deadly incident.
The Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns have long been rivals, but when Texas A&M switched conferences in 2011, going from the Big 12 to the SEC, the rivalry split.
Now, with the Longhorns joining the SEC, there was debate about bringing the bonfire back. A special committee had initially recommended bringing it back, under the condition it would be designed by and built by professional engineers and contractors.
School president Mark Welsh also said he considered public input and noted that many who responded did not want to bring it back if students were not organizing, leading and building the bonfire. The committee, however, had said the only viable option would be to have it professionally built.
But ultimately, the university was not in favor of the bonfire revival.
No bonfires aside, the Aggies is set to go up against the Longhorns on Nov. 30, 2024
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