The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
10.12.2021 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news 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>]
Longhorn Nation,
This week is a truly special one, as in addition to all the competitions that our current teams will be involved in, we'll be celebrating our Longhorn Legends across many sports at the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor induction event on Friday night. It's going to be a very unique one this year because we hit pause on honoring the 14-member class of 2020 since COVID-19 protocols wouldn't allow us to do it as a family in person. As a result, we'll be paying tribute to that group, as well as this year's class of 10 inductees in one magnificent program. Twenty-four Longhorn greats — 23 former student-athletes and one former coach — all together in what will be a truly memorable Friday night on the Forty. It kicks off at 7 p.m. CT in the LBJ Auditorium and Conference Center on our campus, and we hope you all will join us. I'm looking forward to visiting with and honoring these legendary Longhorns and seeing all of you there, as well! You can still get your tickets for the show, which will be general admission seating and available for $25 per person. The newest members of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor will also be recognized on the field during our Football game with Oklahoma State on Saturday, and of course in the permanent display in the Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame in the south end of DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
As we look ahead to the week, let's take a moment to reflect. It didn't end the way we hoped it would, but what a wild one it was at the 117th renewal of the AT&T Red River Showdown last Saturday at the Cotton Bowl. I had such fun seeing you all at the fair, am grateful for our friends at College GameDay for shining a huge spotlight on our team and the game, and thank Longhorn Nation for all of your amazing support. You certainly brought the energy and the juice! The greatest of rivalry games came down to the very end, our Horns played their hearts out, left it all on the field, and despite so many great things they accomplished during the game, we came up just short. As Coach Sark told the team, all we can do is learn from this, grow as a team, and get back up to fight again this week. There's a lot of football left, and we're already revving back up with our squad turning their full attention to another huge Big 12 game with No. 12 Oklahoma State coming to town Saturday for an 11 a.m. kickoff that will be broadcast nationally on FOX. We'll be firing up BEVO Blvd. presented by HEB, Smokey's Midway, LCL and all the fun and festivities around the stadium as the sun rises and getting charged up for the team's arrival shortly after that. Let's all get together again, celebrate as a Longhorn family and cheer on our Horns. You know the 2021 theme – Home is Where The Horns Are! Keep those Horns up and we'll see you bright and early on Saturday!!
And speaking of our UT family, I want to send a huge Hook 'Em and congratulations to our long-time Longhorn Arthur Johnson for being named Vice President and Director of Athletics at Temple. As I told the folks at Temple, Arthur is absolutely a home run hire. He has experience in every facet of athletics and is truly a servant-leader who builds strong relationships and cares deeply for everyone he works with, especially the student-athletes. He's such a great person, done an incredible job for us, and there's no one more prepared for this opportunity. I'm absolutely thrilled for him and T'Leatha and their son Aaron. Arthur has played a critical role in Texas Athletics for a long time, we will miss him and his family very much, but we know he's worked extremely hard to be ready to take on this next challenge. Temple got a great man for the job. He will be a tremendous asset to the athletics department and their entire campus community. I can't thank him enough for all he did for Texas Athletics and wish him and his family the very best in this exciting new chapter.
Back to Texas Sports, and the fun is in the winning! That's exactly what Coach Kelly and our Soccer squad are doing as they extended their unbeaten run to eight matches by shutting out Iowa State last Friday, 2-0. The atmosphere was incredible at Mike A. Myers Stadium with a season-best 1,536 Burnt Orange-clad fans in the house and the sounds of Austin Samba filling the air. With a 4-0-1 record in league play, the Burnt Orange & White are currently leading the Big 12 regular season standings and remain without a loss after their first five league matches for just the fourth time in program history. And this week, we also moved into the United Soccer Coaches poll Top 25. The "Run BMG" trio continued to showcase their incredible skills on the pitch as midfielders Lexi Missimo and Julia Grosso each scored goals against the Cyclones, while forward Trinity Byars registered an assist to give her at least one point now in eight consecutive matches! There's just one match on tap this week, but it's a big one up in Waco as we head into a Top 25 matchup with nationally-ranked Baylor on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. Let's keep the good times rollin'!
Our No. 1-ranked Volleyball squad just continues to knock down the victories, as well. Coach Elliott and our ladies went on the road and faced their toughest match of the season, dropping the first two sets to Kansas on Saturday. Our Horns would not be deterred though, as they rallied to win the next three sets and complete the comeback win. Riding the momentum from that five-set thriller, they were en fuego on Sunday and swept the Jayhawks in dominant fashion. Talk about road warriors, our Horns have won 16 straight matches in opponents' home gyms dating back to 2019. Doesn't matter how rowdy the crowd is, raucous the environment, or the adversity they face, they find a way to win those matches in enemy territory. So with that, we can't wait to welcome them home this weekend and to see Longhorn Nation pack Gregory Gym as we host TCU on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. each night. If you can't be in the gym, as always, you can catch the matches on LHN.
Fall softball continues to roll on for Coach White and the Longhorns as Texas picked up wins this past weekend over Grayson College (22-0, eight innings) and Texas State (7-4) to improve to 4-0 overall. Our squad used the long ball to top Grayson as five different Horns blasted homers, while four different pitchers combined to toss a one-hit shutout. On Sunday against I-35 rival Texas State, second baseman Janae Jefferson and shortstop McKenzie Parker each had four hits, while right fielder Jordyn Whitaker blasted a 259-foot bomb off the scoreboard, in downing the Bobcats. Next up for the Horns is a trip to College Station to battle Texas A&M over 10 innings on Sun., Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. CT.
Don't miss out on our 3-Game Football Mini Plans
We're heading into the second half of the home football season with 12th-ranked Oklahoma State coming in on Saturday. If you don't already have your seats secured, it's not too late to join the party for the rest of the season. Three-game mini plans are available and guarantee your spot for the Oklahoma State, Kansas and K-State games at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mini Plans start at $165 and can be purchased online at TexasSports.com. Single-game tickets can also be purchased here.
Gameday action kicks off at 8 a.m. this Saturday
It's been three weeks since we've had Longhorn Nation on the Forty Acres for Football gameday, and we can't wait to have everyone back on campus beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday with the Bevo Parade presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance as Bevo Blvd presented by H-E-B, Smokey's Midway, Hook 'Em Hangout, and the Deep Eddy Lounge at Longhorn City Limits all open! As always, enjoy all of the FREE activities including happy hour pricing and over 10 food trucks as part of the best pregame experience in the country. Our partners at 1883 Provisions Co. have added mimosas to Big Beertha at Hook 'Em Hangout, as well as bloody mary's at the Deep Eddy Lounge to get the party started early. Check TexasSports.com/Gameday throughout the week for updates on this weekend's timeline and activities.
North Mississippi Allstars and Greyhounds perform postgame at Longhorn City Limits this Saturday
Our LCL crowds have been fantastic this season and this will be no exception as we welcome four-time Grammy nominee North Mississippi Allstars to the LBJ Lawn for a postgame headlining set. Before the game, the Deep Eddy Lounge and Stubb's BBQ will open up at 8 a.m. before Austin musical duo Greyhounds hit the stage at 9:30 a.m. The current forecast for Saturday is shaping up to be a beautiful fall day and there's no better way to celebrate than gameday at DKR and a postgame concert on the LBJ Lawn.
Remember to download your mobile tickets before you leave
If you are coming to the game, please remember to download and save your mobile tickets to your smartphone's digital wallet prior to leaving for the Forty Acres. You can always download your tickets by logging in to your account at TexasSports.com/MyAccount. Learn more how to download, manage, access, or transfer your tickets.
Men's and Women's Basketball Season Tickets on sale now
We are less than a month away from the regular season home openers for our hoops teams on November 9. Men's and Women's Basketball season tickets are on sale now and start at $99 apiece. Only 2021-22 Texas Basketball season ticket holders will have priority access to season tickets at the Moody Center next year. Come out all season and help us celebrate the final season at the Frank Erwin Center in what is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated seasons in Texas Basketball history.
All of our sports are in action these days, there's a lot to cheer for, and of course, we can't wait to honor our greatest of the greats at the Hall of Honor festivities later this week. It's always awesome to be a Longhorn and a huge part of that is our connection with all of you – the best fans in the land! We look forward to seeing you, continuing our grandest of family reunions at all of our events, and together, belting out Texas-Fight and charging our Longhorns up to bring home another win! Let's have a great week, get your best Burnt Orange and White ready, have a lot of fun, and keep those Horns Up!
Hook 'Em Horns,
Chris Del Conte
Chris Del Conte
P.S. — Fun time with Coach Vic making a visit on the LHN broadcast of Texas Volleyball. One big, happy family we are here!
P.S. — Couldn't agree more Kirk, and Bijan is an even better person!
P.S. II — Thanks Boss for sharing your awesome digs for a visit with our Rowing National Champs!
P.S. III — We see you gettin' it done at the next level Ariel and Charli!
HEADLINES
Kickoff time set for No. 21/23 Football vs. No. 12/12 Oklahoma State
The Longhorns and Cowboys will square off at 11 a.m. CT on FOX on Oct. 16.
Video: Steve Sarkisian press conference
Head coach Steve Sarkisian previewed Saturday's game against Oklahoma State.
University of Texas at Austin Partners with Fanatics, HanesBrands to Lead Initiatives for Merchandise "A Selection As Big As Texas"
New partnership provides largest product assortment for Texas fans.
Baseball announces 2021 fall schedule
The Longhorns will host a pair of junior colleges before the annual Orange and White Fall World Series.
Soccer enters United Soccer Coaches poll at No. 25
The Longhorns are riding an eight-match unbeaten streak (7-0-1) dating back to Sept. 12 against UTRGV
Soccer boasts five players on Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100 lists
Lexi Missimo (No. 1) and Trinity Byars (No. 2) led a quartet of Longhorns on the Freshman Top 100 list.
Men's Swimming and Diving wins season opener against Incarnate Word
Women's Swimming and Diving thrives at Dust Your Boots Off Invitational
Softball stays unbeaten in fall action with 7-4 win over Texas State
Janae Jefferson (4-for-6) and McKenzie Parker (4-for-5) each had four of the Longhorns 15 total hits.
Volleyball wins in five sets at Kansas
The Longhorns pulled off the reverse sweep after falling behind, 2-0, to remain undefeated.
REVEALED: 2021 Dave Campbell's Texas Basketball Cover
Video: Football players media availability
Xavier Worthy and Anthony Cook spoke with the media following Tuesday's practice.
