Update: East Texas A&M University was officially approved by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents on November 7, and the change will begin immediately.

The path may have been messy, but what matters the most is achieving the correct result. 

Texas A&M-Commerce President Dr. Mark Rudin announced on the Texas A&M-Commerce Alumni Association Facebook page that he would seek approval from the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents to consider changing the name to East Texas A&M. The BOR will vote on the proposed name change and a request for financial support from the Texas A&M System for costs associated with the name change on November 7, 2024. If approved, the name change would take effect immediately.

While Dr. Rudin and the administration didn’t take the path of least resistance in recommending a name change, they deserve credit for listening to the students and alums over the recent months.

East Texas was a part of the university’s name in some form since it was founded by William L. Mayo in 1889. However, East Texas was removed when the university joined the Texas A&M System and rebranded to its current name in 1995. Still, alums often referred to Texas A&M-Commerce as “Old ET.”

Rumors began circulating in early July that TAMU-Commerce would propose changing its name to include Dallas in some form to tie the university to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The overwhelmingly negative response led Dr. Rudin to hold open forums about the potential rebranding in mid-July.

Texas A&M-Commerce Director of Athletics Jim Curry, mentioned during an interview at the Southland Conference Opening Drive that East Texas A&M was under consideration by the administration. The opposition's initial victory came in mid-August when Dr. Rudin announced he would no longer support changing the name to include Dallas in a message posted to the Alumni Association’s Facebook page.

While Dr. Rudin does not have a vote on the BOR, its members and Chancellor Sharp will highly regard his decision. The move will be welcomed by many alums who have expressed displeasure with the university trying to distance itself from its East Texas roots.

However, the university has taken steps to renew some of those treasured traditions.

Earlier this season, Texas A&M-Commerce announced the return of the Victory Bell. The bell dates back to when Mayo moved East Texas Normal College in Cooper, Texas, to Commerce following a fire that destroyed the original site. Legend has it that Professor Mayo used the bell to call students to class. The bell was a mainstay at football games beginning in the early 1930s and is rung for every point scored by the Lions during a game and following a victory.