Texas A&M Coach Mike Elko Critiques Fan Website After Loss to Missouri

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko provided a candid assessment of the fan base following his team's 27-6 loss to Missouri on Saturday, which marked their third defeat in four games, leaving them with a 3-3 record. In his postgame comments, Elko referred to the fan site TexAgs.com as a "cesspool." He stated, "There’s a difference to me between the fan base and social media, and so there’s one group that I really don’t care much about. Billy [Liucci’s] cesspool can go be Billy’s cesspool. Our fan base: Stay with us. Be behind us. We’re going to build something. That’s what we told you we were going to build. We’re in a really bad spot right now, but we’ll work our way out of it." The Aggies, who began the season ranked eighth in the AP Top 25, currently hold a 1-3 record in conference play and sit 14th in the SEC. Liucci, co-owner of TexAgs, responded to Elko's comments, suggesting that it was inappropriate to criticize fans during a challenging season. He noted, "It was just (the) wrong time and wrong audience to be saying that, the way the season is going. It’s never a time to call out the fans, especially when it’s a large, loyal portion of your fanbase." TexAgs, founded in 1997, has become the largest independent fan site in college sports, with thousands of paying subscribers. The site is also known for a player-benefits scandal that affected Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar's NCAA eligibility in 2006. Elko and the Aggies will aim to regain support from fans with an upcoming game against the Citadel.