Change is afoot in Texas, but there's no changing Texas football
ALLEN, Texas -- It's the air.
It's not smog, it isn't smoke, it's not humidity -- it just sets the scene.
There's a crispness about a perfect Friday night in the fall in Texas. Not too hot (usually), not to cold (usually), just a feeling that envelops each little town from the Red River to Brownsville. It's different from the air in Los Angeles, Miami, Pittsburgh or Birmingham.
The football, especially, is different too. Like the atmosphere it's played in, Texas football is something else. Those in and from the state will argue about its superiority -- you will lose this debate if you get into it, by the way -- but there's no mistaking the fact that the game is taken more seriously and is more distinct in both form and fashion than any other state in the country.
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Football at any level in Texas is special. America's most popular game is the state's tradition every week.
"Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders," according to Billy Bob Thornton, playing Gary Gaines in the movie Friday Night Lights. "You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now."
Hollywood's idolized version of high school football is rooted in truth, and it's not just limited to that level either.
All around the state last week, football was at the center of many people's universe. The Dallas Cowboys played a Monday night game. Pop Warner games were held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Houston and UTEP had a primetime game last Thursday. High schools big and small, from six-man to 5A, played under the lights Friday before Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, SMU and others were in action on Saturday. And then the Cowboys and Texans took to the field Sunday, starting the cycle all over again.
There is no rest to football in Texas. It is life. Some don't understand and that's OK -- they'll just get glares from those that do. People don't get to movie theaters early to get their seats in Los Angeles, they often buy tickets to have them reserved. In the Lone Star State, people stand outside for hours regardless of the weather so they can reserve seats for high school games.
One woman furiously raced home from a Texas Rangers playoff game to see Allen, ranked No. 1 in the state by MaxPreps, play a district opponent that had won just a handful of games over the past two years.
"I couldn't miss the game," she said.
Just take a look at the venues. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones built a palace for football with the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium. Yet his team sometimes practices at an indoor practice facility at nearby Southlake Carroll High School. Yes, America's Team practices at a high school.
By the way, the Dragons will open next season at Allen's $60 million stadium that will have better amenities than nearby SMU.
The facilities at the high school level are there so that they can churn out the athletes that fuel the state's college football programs -- and many others. Many expect Texas A&M's move to the SEC in 2012 to cause some of the nearly 400 recruits every year to look East instead of at some of the other in-state options.
"We put another coach in Texas because we thought it was a place we should spend more time recruiting," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
"There are young men in the state of Texas who are going to be Longhorns, there are young men who are going to be Aggies and Oklahoma has always done a great job in the Dallas area and that's always going to be true," Florida head coach and former Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said.
There are currently 10 FBS programs in the Lone Star State, two more than any other. Texas State and Texas-San Antonio will move up to make it a full dozen in 2012. There is little doubt about who is the top dog among them.
The University of Texas is the state university, even though it might not be so for every Texan. Located in the state capital of Austin, it has the largest enrollment of any institution in the state and is fifth-largest in the country. Much of life around the 40 acres revolves around the Longhorns football program, housed in the most profitable athletic department in the country.
"I asked Colt McCoy one time, 'How are you handling this quarterback thing in Texas?'" Mack Brown said. "And he said, 'I've been preparing to be the quarterback at Texas my whole life. That's what I wanted to do.'"
That power base is one reason why ESPN jumped into bed with the burnt orange and gave Texas $300 million and its own television network, which has been at the center of a lot of controversy recently. It's one reason why the rival Aggies are headed to the SEC next year. It's partly to blame for the Oklahoma schools in the Big 12 to look at the Pac-12 as an option.
While presidents and athletic directors will squabble over revenue sharing and conference affiliation, that won't deter the 12th man from swaying back and forth at Kyle Field or Tech fans sneaking in tortillas to a game to throw. It won't deter the away team in a high school game from bringing an inflatable helmet to a game to run through before kickoff.
The football, at any level, will still be there.
It's why Mike Leach signed over 1,500 copies of his book in Lubbock. It's why a legion of fans exclaimed on Twitter when Kyle Chandler won an Emmy just for acting like a high school football coach in the state. It's why some come to view the game as religion.
Football in Texas. There's nothing like it.
