The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
09.10.2019 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news, interesting tidbits and exciting stories happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. [<a href="http://texassports.com/archives.aspx?path=forty_acres_insider">Forty Acres Insider archives</a>]
Greetings Longhorn Nation,
They came, they saw and they were impressed. Thanks to our friends and partners at ABC, ESPN and Longhorn Network, the eyes of the nation were locked on Austin last Saturday. And because of all of you -- the greatest students and fans in America -- it was awesome!
When we arrived at the ESPN College GameDay set at 5 a.m. with 500 donuts and 500 breakfast tacos, there were already a few thousand of you waiting for us. That Longhorns passion and spirit was shared far and wide and, of course, The Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey stole the show with his grand GameDay entrance in a vintage, burnt orange Lincoln with "Slow Ride" blasting from the speakers. ESPN even ventured out to Bevo's ranch to feature our iconic big guy, and they are correct -- he is on the Mount Rushmore of mascots!
From GameDay to Bevo Blvd., Smokey's Midway and Longhorn City Limits and in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, it was a sensational celebration of The University of Texas. You brought it from sun up to sun down and we are so grateful. Longhorn Nation, you are just the absolute best! A big shout-out to everyone on our athletics staff who collaborated and put the plan in place and provided outstanding execution for a tremendous day of activities. We had nearly 100,000 fans in the stadium and another 35,000 outside and our team worked tirelessly to support them. It was a wonderful example of unselfish commitment to servant leadership and reminds us of how lucky we are to have such a talented, creative and devoted team!
We didn't get the result we hoped for in the game, but I couldn't have been prouder of the effort and tenacity of our Longhorns. It was a game for the ages as we made big plays, fought through adversity, and gave it our all until the final gun. Your Horns are back at work and preparing to bounce back as we travel to Houston to face our old Southwest Conference foe Rice at NRG Stadium on Saturday (7 p.m.). Let's make it a Longhorns Party and turn NRG burnt orange. Can't wait to see y'all there.
Another place that I love seeing y'all and is always rockin' on Volleyball gamedays is Gregory Gym. How about that big, top 10 win over Minnesota last Wednesday night at the Greg?! On Sunday, they went out and competed toe-to-toe against defending National Champion Stanford, coming up just short in a thrilling five-set match. If you haven't seen Coach Elliott's third-ranked squad in action, it's a lot of fun so come on out and join us.
In closing, we always appreciate your feedback. We've received your notes of concerns about safety regarding the entrance into the stadium and crowding in our student sections at last Saturday's big game. Our fans' safety is paramount to us and we appreciate those who reached out and certainly hear your concerns. We believe that the enormity of the game combined with the challenges of the south end zone construction project presented some new challenges that we had not previously faced. We will address the issues and improve as we prepare for our next home game against Oklahoma State on Sept. 21.
Our fans will always be a priority and we hope everyone will continue to use our new @TexasFanFirst Twitter account that has been created just for you. It is a one-stop shopping resource for gameday updates and customer service at all of our athletics events.
We appreciate you and all you do for Texas Athletics. Let's continue to work together to make our place great!
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Hook 'em, Horns!
Kamie Ethridge's No. 33 jersey retired
A two-time All-American for Texas, Kamie Ethridge led her 1986 Texas Women's Basketball team to the NCAA Championship and a 34-0 record, marking the first undefeated season in women's college basketball. She is the first female student-athlete at The University of Texas to have her jersey retired. Read more.
Baseball's freshman class ranked No. 10 by Baseball America
For the second consecutive season, Baseball's recruiting class has received a top-10 ranking by Baseball America, checking in at No. 10 nationally. The 18-man recruiting class consists of three junior college transfers and 15 freshmen. Read more.
LHN feature: The Petersen Family
Volleyball libero Sydney Peterson sits down with her mom, Northern Iowa head coach Bobbi Peterson, and twin sister Baylee Petersen, UNI's middle hitter, prior to the Texas vs. Northern Iowa match. Watch video.
Men's Tennis gets National Championship rings
Check out the championship bling! The 2019 Men's Tennis team came together on Saturday to receive their National Championship and Big 12 Championship rings. Read more.
