Fans disappointed after Aggies pull out of Gator Bowl

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Many Aggies will make new arrangements to fill the time of the Gator Bowl next week. The Texas A&M football program announced that the team will not play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Wake Forest Dec. 31 due to COVID-19 issues and player injuries.

Morgan Derrick is a former student who says she grew a greater appreciation for Aggie football after she graduated.

“My grandfather went here, so it’s been multi-generational for me,” Derrick said. “Kind of grew up with it and then when my older sister came here in 2004-ish, that’s when I really kind of became invested.”

Derrick, a third-generation Aggie, and her family made plans to watch the Gator Bowl together but believes the decision was made for the greater good of the team.

“We’re definitely gonna miss not being able to watch the game,” Derrick said. “We were looking forward to one last game this season, but I think it was the responsible thing to do.”

Betsy Wells is a second-generation Aggie and grew up going to Texas A&M football games.

“We got rained on, we got sweated out,” Wells said. “It was a big deal. We came to at least three games a year and now we still at least try to come to one and bring my three kids.”

Wells had a tailgate planned with a “big crew.” Now she’s planning to do something else with her time.

“Obviously, COVID is a big deal and we don’t want anyone getting sick over it,” Wells said. “Now, I don’t want this to be an excuse for us not to be playing because we don’t want to lose. I don’t like that.”

Although both Derrick and Wells are disappointed that they won’t be able to watch the Aggies Dec. 31, their Aggie pride remains strong.

For those who purchased Gator Bowl tickets through the 12th Man Foundation, ticketholders can expect a full refund early next month. If you bought tickets through another vendor, you should seek that vendor for more information.

Copyright 2021 KBTX. All rights reserved.