BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Nov. 2, 2026 — Buc-ee the Beaver and the Aggie who created the iconic mascot are helping Texas A&M University celebrate its 150th anniversary.
On Nov. 3, a new T-shirt design featuring Buc-ee celebrating the milestone will go on sale in Rudder Plaza and at the Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstore. Buc-ee himself will make appearances during the 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Rudder Plaza event, taking selfies and showing off the new shirt.
The shirt will be the third installment of a co-branded merchandise line released this year by the university and Buc-ee’s, all of which will be available at the pop-up. (Those who miss it can still buy the all three T-shirts at the campus bookstore, which is in the Memorial Student Center.)
The new shirt drops the same day that Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III ’80 will come to Rudder Theatre as part of the university’s Sesquicentennial Speaker Series. During the talk, Aplin will share his experiences, insights and the lessons he learned building a small convenience store into a brand so beloved that travelers from around the country go out of their way to visit the travel centers that followed that original location.
The 4 p.m. talk will be hosted alongside the College of Architecture Showcase and moderated by Texas A&M President Susan Ballabina. Attendees will hear about not only Aplin’s entrepreneurial journey but his vision for hospitality, retail and experiential learning at Texas A&M. He has maintained close ties to his alma mater through the years and recently gave $60 million for the Aplin Center, which is now under construction in the heart of the main campus. The center will bring together academic programs and industry partners to create a first-of-its-kind, hands-on learning environment for students studying hospitality, retail, food innovation, merchandising, marketing and customer experience.
The Texas A&M/Buc-ee’s merchandise offers an early glimpse of the kind of creative, real-world partnership the center is designed to inspire. Texas A&M is the first university with which Buc-ee’s has collaborated on a line of apparel.
Aplin opened the first Buc-ee’s in Lake Jackson in 1982. His philosophy is that every business is ultimately a hospitality business. What began as his vision for a better roadside convenience store has grown into one of the most recognizable retail brands in America. After earning a degree in building construction from Texas A&M in 1980, he grew his business from a single store into an icon known for its customer service; Beaver Nuggets, brisket sandwiches and other products; and spotless bathrooms appreciated by parents in desperate need of an infant’s changing table.
In inspiring a cult-like following, Buc-ee’s has redefined what travelers expect from a roadside stop. Along the way, Aplin has built his reputation as an industry leader and passionate advocate for community service — while remaining deeply connected to Texas A&M and the state of Texas.
By Marty Toohey, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications
