The #15 Texas A&M Aggies defeated the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide in football, 29-24, on November 10, 2012. (This would be Alabama’s only loss and the team would win the national championship despite it.) Aggieland Outfitters put a T-shirt up for sale on February 28, 2013, “We Control the Tide.”
 
On June 13, 2013, Texas A&M Athletic Director Eric Hyman said to a crowd at Brazos County A&M Coach’s Night: “What does the moon and Texas A&M have in common? We control the Tide.” The joke and the T-shirt immediately made sports headlines.
 
   
Wikipedia: Eric Hyman
Eric Hyman is the current athletic director at Texas A&M University. He has also served as athletic director of the University of South Carolina, Texas Christian University, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and The Virginia Military Institute.
 
Hyman served as athletic director of Texas Christian University from 1997 to 2005. During this period he was named the 2004 national athletic director of the year.
 
ESPN College Football
(15) Texas A&M 29
(1) Alabama 24
3:30 PM ET, November 10, 2012
Bryant-Denny Stadium, TUSCALOOSA, AL

Aggieland Outfitters
AC CONTROL THE TIDE (“We Control the Tide” T-shirt—ed.)
$19.99
 
Twitter
Aggie Sports‏
@Aggie_Sports
Eric Hyman to the crowd at BCA&M Coach’s Night: “What does the moon and Texas A&M have in common? We control the Tide.”
5:54 PM - 13 Jun 13
 
USA Today
Texas A&M athletic director’s one-liner zings SEC rival Alabama
Jokes involving the solar system are the best kind of jokes.
By Paul Myerberg – June 13, 2013 at 10:11pm EDT
Oh, this is so good. So, so good. Are you sitting down? At an event Thursday evening in College Station, Texas, Texas A&M athletic director Eric Hyman unleashed a zinger:
 
Aggie Sports‏
@Aggie_Sports
Eric Hyman to the crowd at BCA&M Coach’s Night: “What does the moon and Texas A&M have in common? We control the Tide.”
5:54 PM - 13 Jun 13
(...)
The reference, if you missed it: Hyman is tweaking SEC rival Alabama, which lost to Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa last November. Of course, that loss didn’t prevent Alabama from winning the national championship. The two meet again this September at A&M.
 
SB Nation
Yes, Texas A&M fans, you can already buy a ‘We Control the Tide’ shirt
By Jason Kirkon Jun 14 2013, 4:33p@JasonKirkSBN1
(...)
Uodate: Even Better!
 
Aggieland Outfitters
@AggieOutfitters
@JasonKirkSBN shirt actually been out a few weeks. Maybe Hyman shops at our store! #12thMan #ControlTheTide
4:39 PM - 14 Jun 2013
 
USA Today
Texas A&M ‘We Control the Tide’ T-shirts now available for purchase
Who else is excited for Sept. 14?
By Laken Litman – June 14, 2013 at 5:15pm EDT
Well, this didn’t take long at all.
 
Not even 24 hours after Texas A&M athletics director Eric Hyman unleashed this clever planetary zinger at an event Thursday night in College Station, the retail store Aggieland Outfitters came up with this T-shirt.
(...)
Update: Per @AggieOutfitters, the shirt has actually been in stock since Feb. 28, 2013.