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Gig 'em!
Texas A & M University
Location: College Station, TX
Nickname: Aggies
Type of School: Public Land Grant Research University
Mascot: “Reveille IX” (Rough Collie)
Total student body: 79,105 (Fall 2024)
University Established: 1876
Football Stadium: Kyle Field
Capacity: 102,733
Team Colors: Maroon and White
Alma Mater
Some may boast of prowess bold
Of the schools they think so grand
But there’s a spirit can ne’er be told
It’s the Spirit of Aggieland
(Chorus)
We are the Aggies — the Aggies are we
True to each other as Aggies can be
We’ve got to FIGHT boys
We’ve got to fight!
We’ve got to fight for the Maroon and White
After they’ve boosted all the rest
Then they will come and join the best
For we are the Aggies — the Aggies are we
We’re from Texas AMC
Traditions
"The 12th Man"
On Jan. 2, 1922, the heavily outgunned Texas A&M football team was facing the top-ranked Centre College Praying Colonels in the Dixie Classic (the precursor of todays’ Cotton Bowl) in Dallas. E. King Gill, an Aggie basketball player and former member of the football team, was up in the press box helping reporters identify players on the field below.
The Aggies found their team decimated by injuries, and their reserves dwindling with every play. As Texas A&M Coach Dana X. Bible looked over his virtually empty bench, he suddenly remembered that Gill was there, in the stands that day. Coach Bible waved Gill down to the sideline and told him to go find a uniform and suit up. Gill ran under the bleachers and put on the uniform of injured running back Heine Weir, who had gone out of the game in the first quarter.
Gill returned to the sideline, where he stood ready to play for the entirety of the game if the 11 men on the field needed a backup. This earned him the title of the “12th Man”. When the last play of the game had been run, the Aggies found that they had accomplished one of the greatest upsets in college football history, winning 22-14. E. King Gill remained standing on the sideline, next to Coach Bible ‘til the end, the only player left on the team’s bench.
The 12th Man Today
Gill’s legendary “willingness to serve” the greater good of his team in 1922 has been passed down through the generations of Aggies for over 100 years now, as Texas A&M’s student section stands together during the entirety of every home football and basketball game, ready to enter the game if called upon. At each home football game, there are an average of 38,000 students that can be seen representing that “12th Man”.
The power of the 12th Man is consistently demonstrated in the unity, loyalty, and willingness of Aggies everywhere to serve when called to do so. It may be most visible on gamedays, but students also embrace this spirit through generosity and service to their peers, community, and the world around them. Texas A&M has become known as the “Home of the 12th Man”, a name that embraces Mr. Gill’s simple gesture of school pride and readiness.
Trivia
- Texas A&M University’s mascot is a female Rough Collie named “Reveille”. She showed up in 1931 and barked at the bugle during morning formation! Immediately launching herself into the hearts of The Corps of Cadets. The current “First Lady of A&M” is “Reveille X”.
- “Reveille” holds the highest rank within the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
- All “Reveilles” (there are now 9) are all buried at the north end of the Kyle Field football stadium, with their bodies always facing the scoreboard.
- The campus of Texas A&M in College Station was used as the inspiration for the university in Pixar’s animated film Monsters University.
- The Big Event, which is appropriately named, is the largest single-day event with over 20,000 students pitching in to participate in community and service.
Traditions - Continued
Corps of Cadets
The Corps of Cadets is the largest, oldest and one of the most visible student organizations on campus. Learn more about the different units of the Corps, including the Ross Volunteers, Parsons Mounted Cavalry, and the famous Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band.
Remembrance
Some of our most cherished traditions honor the fallen members of the Aggie Family. From Muster and Silver Taps to the Bonfire Memorial and the Memorial Student Center, Texas A&M proves that once an Aggie, always an Aggie.
Muster - Originated 1883
Muster is observed worldwide each year on April 21 to remember fallen Aggies. After the name of each Aggie who has died is read aloud, a loved one will answer, “Here,” to show the Aggie is there in spirit.
Silver Taps - Originated 1898
Current Texas A&M students who pass away are honored at a Silver Taps ceremony. Texas A&M is the only university in the world to honor its students in this way.
Bonfire Memorial - Originated 1999
The Bonfire Memorial embodies many layers of meaning associated with the Aggie Spirit — a deep sense of belonging, a strong spirit of teamwork and leadership, and an enduring sense of tradition. It also honors those involved in the tragic collapse of the 1999 Bonfire, uniting Aggies past, present and future.
