MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — They say everything is bigger in Texas, except for maybe in-state rivalries.

Don’t blame Jimbo Fisher.

The Aggies sixth-year head coach trumpeted that if Texas A&M had its druthers, it would choose to play incoming SEC member Texas every year.

“Of course you’d want Texas,” Fisher said at the SEC Spring Meetings, “because that’s the traditional rival.”

The Longhorns and Aggies have met 118 times but haven’t played since 2011. Texas won the most recent meeting (27-25) and won 9 of the 12 meetings since 2000, but it made the decision to discontinue the series after Texas A&M decided to join the SEC.

Former Texas A&M and Alabama coach Gene Stallings, who was instrumental in helping his alma mater become a part of the SEC in 2012, agreed with Fisher that the Aggies first choice for an annual opponent should be Texas.

“Texas would be the first choice because of the tradition,” Stallings said in a phone interview from his ranch in Paris, Texas. “But if not, then it’s LSU. We opened with them for years.”

The SEC is still sorting through its options for scheduling models, with the 1-7 (one permanent, seven rotating) and 3-6 (three permanents, six rotating) considered the top options.

Fisher bristled when told Texas would likely choose fellow incoming Big 12 member, Oklahoma, as its one permanent rival should the SEC choose the 1-7 model when the teams start play in 2024.

“We’re not going to live our life worrying about Texas,” Fisher said. “We’re not going to live our life worrying about Texas, we’re going to do what’s best for A&M. They do what they need to do, and we do what we need to do.”

The Longhorns will be bringing a ton of clout from the Lone Star State even though they haven’t won a conference title since 2009 and have just three league crowns in the 26-year history of the Big 12.

SEC coaching legend Steve Spurrier said he could understand why Texas was making the move last year.

“I can understand Texas jumping over, they get to play Texas A&M again, they can’t win the Big 12 anyway,” Spurrier quipped. “I think they’ve only won two in the last 30 years or so. So I can see Texas jumping over—more money, playing A&M, this, that and the other.”

Still, the addition of Texas will bring even more pressure to Fisher and his Texas A&M staff, as the school enters its 12th season in the league without so much as an SEC Championship Game appearance.

The Aggies had an SEC-high 31 players transfer out this offseason while bringing in 11.

Fisher said he supports the transfer portal when properly applied.

“There are reasons to transfer, and I think they are great,” Fisher said. “We just have to try make sure guys are making good choices and not using the portal for the wrong reasons.

“Transfers from all schools will be inevitable You just hope they are doing it for the right reasons.”