By David Rodezno / Unsplash
By Peyton Lederman | The Now Daily
Kyle Field Turns Red, White and Blue
Texas A&M marked the 25th anniversary of one of its most recognizable displays of unity Saturday as Kyle Field once again filled with red, white and blue. The Sept. 12 game against Arizona State brought back the Red, White and Blue Game for the first time since 2021, with fans wearing designated colors based on where they were seated in the stadium. Texas A&M Aggies Athletics
This year’s event carried additional significance. It came one day after the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and during the United States’ 250th anniversary year. Texas A&M said the event was intended to remember those lost on September 11, recognize those who have served the country and celebrate a tradition of service and leadership. Texas A&M Marketing
A Tradition That Started With Five Students
The original Red, White and Blue Out came together just days after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The idea began with a post on TexAgs by Texas A&M student Eric Bethea and grew into an effort led by Bethea and fellow students Kourtney Gruner, Cole Robertson, Josh Rosinski and Nick Luton. Their goal was to transform Kyle Field into a patriotic display during the Aggies’ Sept. 22 game. https://www.kbtx.com
What started as a relatively small T-shirt effort quickly spread throughout Aggieland. Local businesses and volunteers joined the students, and nearly 70,000 shirts were ultimately sold. The stadium was divided into sections of red, white and blue, producing an image that became closely associated with Texas A&M’s response to the attacks. https://www.kbtx.com
The Effort Went Beyond Kyle Field
The 2001 event wasn’t simply intended to create a memorable scene inside the stadium. Money raised through the shirt campaign also provided support to organizations connected to police officers and firefighters. Organizers ultimately presented $90,000 checks to both the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and a firefighters fund, according to KBTX’s retrospective on the original event. https://www.kbtx.com
Twenty-five years later, Texas A&M again connected the tradition with service. A portion of proceeds from the official 2026 shirts was designated for renovations to the Memorial Student Center’s Hall of Honor, including recognition of Medal of Honor recipient Matt Williams ’25. Williams became the ninth Aggie to receive the Medal of Honor. Texas A&M Marketing
A New Generation Carries the Tradition Forward
For students attending Texas A&M today, the September 11 attacks occurred years before many of them were born. Bringing the Red, White and Blue Game back gives a new generation of Aggies a visible connection to an event that shaped both the country and the university community.
The circumstances surrounding the 2026 game are very different from those surrounding the original student-led effort in 2001, but the central idea remains recognizable: thousands of people coordinating something simple to represent something much larger. Twenty-five years after five students helped turn Kyle Field red, white and blue, the tradition remains part of the story of Aggieland.
Primary sources: KBTX — Looking back on the original Red, White, and Blue Out, 25 years later · Texas A&M — Red, White and Blue Game