I think the biggest difference now is that the NCAA is absolutely disinterested in catching and/or punishing anyfuckingone for cheating. I've been saying for ten years or more, A&M should just cheat, because who cares? It's not like they have a sterling reputation as it is-- they THINK they do, but the addendum to "Aggies don't lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do" is "only Aggies believe that horseshit".
The way they're seen outside of their bubble is, they're incompetent cheating redneck goober hicks who are more interested in winning bidding wars against themselves than anything decided on the field of play. I mean, look at Jimbo Fisher. People-- Stewart Mandel comes to mind-- act like Fisher is some novelty in College Station. Wow, the Aggies got themselves a national championship caliber coach with their huge Texas oil money, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
In 1982, they offered Bo Schembechler an obscene raise over what he was making at Michigan and what Michigan would ever pay him, and he nearly took the A&M job. When he decided "no" and was asked why, he said "Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to be a millionaire?" Not, "I think I can finally win a national title there" or "it's a sleeping giant" or "I can recruit better there". It was "they offered me a lot more money than I ever thought I'd make as a football coach".
Then they threw similar money at Jackie Sherrill in the midst of several years of national championship contention at Pitt and he accepted.
In 2002 they bought Dennis Franchione from Alabama.
THEY HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE. IT IS NOT NEW, IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A NEW PARADIGM IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. THIS IS WHAT AGGIES DO. THEY HAVE CREDIT CARDS AND THEY LIKE USING THEM.