The Longhorn Republic The Longhorn Republic

It's summertime and our preview series continues, with the Texas Longhorns taking on a brand-new cast of foes with the move to the SEC.

Opponent No. 11 on the schedule for Texas are the Kentucky Wildcats, with Mark Stoops -- one of the longest-tenured coaches in the country. What are the expectations for Stoops and his squad in 2024 and what should Texas fans look out for when the two squads square off?

For the third time in four years, the Texas Longhorns claimed the prize for the top athletics department in the land with the Director's Cup.

The season didn't quite finish off how they hoped, with the softball team falling in the WCWS final to the Oklahoma Sooners, but still one of the best years in school history. Led by championships in Volleyball and Rowing, all but two of the varsity sports finished the season ranked.

We also dive in on coaching changes for the women's golf team and the rest of the All-Americans on campus.

We are drawing closer to football season every day and that means it's time for our summer previews, going through each week of the Texas Longhorns' schedule with those who know them best.

Starting with Week 12 means we start our preview series with an old rivalry renewed on the field -- the Texas A&M Aggies.

While the other sports have faced off on the courts, it has been more than a decade since the football teams have crossed paths. What could be a pivotal matchup in the rivalry game for both schools, well beyond the rivalry, faces two teams hoping to be the premiere SEC school in the state.

The Texas Longhorns had a busy weekend competing for championships, with the rowing team bringing home championship gold - their third in the last four years. En route to winning, they edged out the Stanford Cardinal to put themselves in position to claim the Director's Cup.

While they were rowing, the baseball team was in College Station, going 1-2 on the weekend - blowing a lead to rival Texas A&M and then being eliminated by Louisiana -- the team they sent to the elimination bracket.

In Oklahoma City, the softball team relied on dominant pitching from a freshman phenom to shut down all of the competition, with pitcher Tegan Kavan setting the tone for the pitching staff.

The Texas Longhorns once again find themselves in the postseason, but this time in unfamiliar territory -- heading to College Station to take on Louisiana, Grambling State, and of course host Texas A&M.

While the matchup with the Aggies headlines the weekend, the team can't look past the opening tilt against a powerful Ragin' Cajuns squad that can generate offense at a moment's notice. Once they do take on the Aggies, the pitching staff will have its hands full with the powerful lineup of Maroon batters, who can blast home runs with the best of them.

What's our read on the weekend and how will Texas handle the pressure of taking on their rival?

The Texas Longhorns are closing out one of the most successful seasons in school history, with a record 15 conference championships. On top of that, we've seen programs competitive on the national level, with national championship competition still pending for several sports.

WIth the official move to the SEC less than 90 days away, how well is Texas positioned for 2024-2025 and beyond? How did they get there from what felt like a long stretch of struggles?