“All hail to dear old Texas A&M. Rally around Maroon and White. Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies.” Aggies fans, you can now stop your grooving and let ESPN host Rece Davis do his thing. War Hymns are good for the spirit unless they get you into trouble. But there’s something about these fight songs and war hymns that turns a group of freshmen into a bonded tribe. And get even the most cynical alumni to belt out lyrics with a full chest. You take Notre Dame’s “Victory March.” Blaring out as gold helmets glint under the stadium lights, or Ohio State’s “Buckeye Battle Cry.” Where the O-H-I-O sways through The Shoe.
These aren’t just songs. They’re ritual, tradition, a living soundtrack to every up and down of the season. Every team’s fans will swear their hymn tops the rest. But also, there’s a sense of fraternity about it all. Like the way Clemson’s “Tiger Rag” gets the crowd hopping or the way Pitt’s “Hail to Pitt” rings out downtown. And just when you think it’s all just fan folklore, along comes Rece Davis with a national pulpit to back it up. Davis, a man who’s heard just about every tune from Austin to Ann Arbor, recently admitted the Texas A&M War Hymn is the one that truly sticks with him.
In a recent tweet exchange, former ESPN host David Pollack posed a question, “What’s that one College fight song you hear and it sticks in your head all day?” Rece Davis, being completely candid about it, replied, “Aggie War Hymn.” You could almost hear the band playing and the yells of Kyle Field through his tweet.
From the outside, the Texas A&M War Hymn might sound like just another raucous college fight song. But for ESPN’s Rece Davis, it’s an experience. One that took root in his mind and never left. Last year, when College GameDay rolled back into College Station. Rece Davis found himself right in the heart of Aggieland. And again swept up by the War Hymn and all its rowdy rituals.
Aggie War Hymn
— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) July 24, 2025
It isn’t just fandom or professional duty for Rece. With all the places he’s been, all the stadiums he’s set foot in, it’s rare for a song to make such a personal impact. But the Aggie War Hymn has a way of doing just that. But why this obsession? And that, too, when you are an Alabama graduate (although he was very far away from the ball). It’s all about the immersive spectacle.
On GameDay, with the crowd in full voice, the band blasting the opening notes, and thousands of Aggies swinging arm in arm, the War Hymn doesn’t just play; it takes over. And speaking of taking over, just imagine the pure chaos and awkward grins when someone accidentally cued up the Aggie War Hymn as Texas coach Steve Sarkisian strutted onto the stage at the 2025 SEC Media Days. Yes, it happened.
Greg Sankey cleaning up a fight song fumble
When Texas coach Steve Sarkisian took the stage at the 2025 SEC Media Days, instead of the familiar “Texas Fight” anthem that should have greeted him, the unmistakable notes of the Aggie War Hymn filled the room. Yes, the fight song of Texas A&M, the Longhorns’ archrival, blasted out as Sarkisian walked up to the podium. For anyone who knows this storied rivalry, it was like calling your partner by the name of your ex. The mix-up wasn’t some strategic jab or sneaky sabotage but rather a straight-up blunder by whoever was running the music that day.
Sarkisian, displaying more class than anyone else in that moment, didn’t so much as flinch or call it out; he just kept his cool and dove right into his remarks, even addressing the recent Central Texas flooding with sincerity. The SEC commissioner, Greg Sankey, wasn’t about to let this slip without comment. He stepped up shortly after to apologize to Sarkisian for the blunder. “Mistakes happen,” Sankey said. “No ill intent there. We’ll make sure we do better at possessing our responsibilities.” Sankey’s apology was a rare moment of official humility in the high-stakes world of college football media spectacles.
The whole episode became an instant classic SEC Media Days anecdote. The moment the Aggie War Hymn crashed the Longhorns’ party, underscoring just how deep and passionate Texas football rivalries run. And who knows? Maybe next time, A&M’s Mike Elko will get his moment with “Texas Fight” playing as a cheeky bit of payback.
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