Texas A&M will no longer use rapper Kanye West’s song “Power” during the football team’s pregame entrance to Kyle Field, athletic director Ross Bjork said on Thursday. Bjork tweeted Friday that the team will use sound effects and music from its drumline after previously saying “Power” would be replaced by an instrumental version of Childish Gambino’s “Bonfire,” the song the team runs out to at the start of the third quarter.
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“After further reflection of options, we will not choose a song for the team entrance into Kyle Field-we will use sound effects & Aggie Drum Line transitioning to the War Hymn,” Bjork tweeted. “The 12th Man creates the best environment in college football-see you on Saturday night!”
During an appearance on “Yell & Review,” a regularly-scheduled live stream run by the athletic department’s in-house production team, Bjork said the school has monitored the situation in recent weeks in the wake of West making public antisemitic comments.
“We’re pivoting away from that song,” Bjork said.
Texas A&M has used roughly the first 30 seconds of the song, without the lyrics, as part of its team entrance since 2012, sandwiching it between the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band’s “March of Honor” drumline and the Aggie War Hymn as the Aggies run onto the field.
The addition of “Power” was one of several changes to the team’s introduction under former coach Kevin Sumlin and became popular among players and fans, enough that the song remained even after current coach Jimbo Fisher took over in 2018. A&M’s student section, which regularly tops 30,000 for home games, often chanted along to the song.
The change will remain in place for the rest of this season. Bjork noted that the school may potentially use this opportunity to evaluate the entire team entrance ahead of the 2023 season. “This is a really good solution for what we have these last four games, so that’s what we’re gonna go with,” Bjork said.
The Aggies, who are 3-4 this season, host No. 15 Ole Miss on Saturday.
(Photo: Jerome Miron / USA Today)