Take a look at the above shirt, which marks Texas A&M’s move to the SEC. Anything look off to you?
For those of you who realize North Carolina doesn’t currently have a team in the SEC, we extend our congratulations. The imaginary gift card to Denny’s is in the mail. (You could also say the shirt is also missing Missouri, which will also be joining the conference next season. More on that in a bit.)
But before we jump all over a fine institution like Texas A&M for letting this unfortunate geographical error slip by, it’s important to note that this isn’t an official piece of Aggies merchandise, nor is it being sold through the school. The shirt’s actual vendor, Aggieland Outfitters, released this statement:
We would like to apologize for a t-shirt that has come under fire for its inaccuracies. Many members of the media, especially those connected to other schools in Texas, have insinuated that Texas A&M made these shirts, and that Texas A&M doesn’t know geography. That’s simply not true. Aggieland Outfitters designed the shirt and simply made a mistake.
The t-shirt was originally designed to reflect the SEC states before expansion on the front, and then refer to the addition of a “Texas style of football” on the back. The original sketch did not have North Carolina on it, but when an artist drew the map, it was added by mistake.
Texas and Missouri were never part of the design, as it was supposed to be a nod to the original 12 members of the SEC.
The shirts have been pulled from the stores and website, and we’ve addressed the issue internally. We have also put several measures into place to make sure that this sort of error does not happen again.
While it was a simple error, our biggest concern is that Texas A&M is associated with it, and that was never our intention. We strive to be the No. 1 retailer of Texas A&M merchandise, and will continue to design and sell the best possible selection for Aggies and A&M fans everywhere.
Gig’em Aggies!
Besides, even if it were an official A&M shirt, it’s not like the university offers a “sports geography” major. Not for non-student-athletes, at least.
H/T Eye on College Football
Photo via Darren Rovell’s WhoSay
