Texas A&M and Bonfire

Back in the days of Jackie Sherrill, this was a rivalry game that Texas A&M usually won...but times have changed...the Aggies no longer build the annual bonfire, on campus, after the tragedy that took place about ten years ago...this year, this is a game the Longhorns must win - and win impressively...

Texas A&M @ Texas
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman writes about the demise of the Texas A&M football program... "Is Texas A&M the new Baylor? Was hiring Mike Sherman a mistake? How long will it take the Aggies to make up ground?" ...

Kirk Bohls

Suzanne Haliburton of the Austin American-Statesman writes about Texas DE Brian Orakpo and his last game at Texas... "There's an argument to be made that Orakpo — the fifth-year senior playing in his final game at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Thursday — is representative of the surging Longhorns, who are making an unexpected national title run." ...

Suzanne Haliburton

Here is how the annual Bonfire is done without the university's support...
Despite the university's refusal to allow Bonfire to take place on campus, a non-university sanctioned bonfire took its place. The first unofficial Bonfire since the 1930s was held in 2002 and was known as the "Unity Project." This fire consisted of three piles of wood, with the center stack being 35 feet (11 m) high.

In 2003, the event became known as Student Bonfire. In a design approved by a professional engineer, Student Bonfire uses a wedding cake design, but, in a departure from tradition, every log in the stack touches the ground. For added support, four 24 feet (7.3 m) poles are spaced evenly around the stack and then bolted to the 45 feet (14 m) center pole with a steel pipe. These poles are known as Windle-sticks, after Levi Windle, a staunch supporter of Student Bonfire who died in an unrelated accident in 2003. Since the group does not receive funding, Student Bonfire charges a fee to each attendee to cover expenses. Attendance for Student Bonfire ranges from 8,000–15,000 people and the event is held in Brazos County or one of the surrounding counties.