The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: September 2
09.02.2025 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte
Longhorn Nation,
WHAT A SCENE IT WAS IN COLUMBUS — an historic showdown between two of the nation's premier programs. ESPN's College GameDay and FOX's Big Noon Kickoff were in the house, shining a national spotlight on our Longhorns. Millions tuned in, Longhorn Legends and celebrities filled the stands, and our great fans everywhere witnessed the clash of the titans. It was one of those critically important early-season non-conference contests that are vital for our program and college football as a whole. And trust me y'all, it's exactly the kind of challenge we'll always be willing to step up and face. The pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas will never shy away from big-time matchups — like we've always done and are scheduled for in the future — and we'll always be better for it in the long run!
It didn't end the way we wanted but we went TOE-TO-TOE WITH THE DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS in what was a physical, hard-hitting defense-driven battle. Coach Sark and our guys fought valiantly, made big plays, and had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie or win. In the end, Ohio State came out on top, 14-7. We left Columbus with lessons learned, missed opportunities, determination gained, and plenty of fuel for the road ahead. We faced a great team in one of the toughest road environments there is and came up just short — leaving it all on the field. It's a long season, and this was just the first chapter. The disappointment in that locker room after the game quickly turned into drive and focus — and that was on full display when the team hit the practice field on Monday.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GET FIRED UP ON THE FORTY! It's time for a big 'ol family reunion and party with our home opener at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium against San Jose State on Saturday (11 a.m. CT/ABC). We need y'all there early packing the Forty with passion, pride and Texas Fight — you can start getting revved up at all of our pregame festivities around the stadium beginning at 8 a.m. Let's get out that Burnt Orange & White best, get our Horns Up and make sure Coach Sark and our guys feel our unmatched energy when they take the field and take dead aim on the Spartans!
Game week on the Forty 🤘
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 1, 2025
Texas vs. San Jose State
Sat Sept. 6 | 11 AM CT | ABC
Presented by St.David's HealthCare pic.twitter.com/gPsc75fsc5
THEN ON SUNDAY, HISTORY AWAITS AT MOODY CENTER. Coach Elliott and our No. 2-ranked Volleyball squad — coming off sweeps over No. 12 Creighton and No. 8 Wisconsin in Madison last week — take on No. 6 Stanford in the first-ever Volleyball match in that incredible arena. Before that, they'll travel to Houston to face Rice on Wednesday night (6 p.m. CT/ESPN+).
weekend = won🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/kiZurdmAkR
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) August 31, 2025
Soccer split a pair of home games at Mike A. Myers Stadium this past week, coming up just short in a hard-fought 3-2 loss against No. 4 TCU before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over College of Charleston on Sunday. Coach Kelly and our ladies will travel up I-35 to battle Baylor on Thursday (7 p.m. CT/ESPN+). Cross Country swept the Stormy Seas Opener up the road in Georgetown on Saturday morning, as our women earned a perfect score of 15 points while the men finished with 20 points. Both programs are next in action at the UIW Invitational in San Antonio on Friday, Sept. 12.
Check out all the notes below on this week's festivities. Texas Athletics is full steam ahead with another packed slate of action. Get your Horns Up and don't miss this epic weekend of Texas Athletics. Let's Hook 'Em folks!
ready for a great week Longhorn Nation 🤘#HookEm | @seatgeek pic.twitter.com/T9ZAuOv1zZ
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) September 1, 2025
Plan your gameday commute before heading to the stadium
As I mentioned in last week's Forty Acres Insider, we want your trip to AND from DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium to be as smooth and stress-free as possible this season. That means planning ahead, allowing yourself extra time, and knowing your best route before you head our way.
There is one update we want to flag for you this year: With I-35 construction permanently closing the 15th Street on-ramp to northbound I-35, postgame traffic patterns have shifted. After the game, some fans leaving from 15th Street will now be guided to the I-35 southbound frontage road, while others will continue south to 12th Street. The 12th Street intersection will now take on the role that the 15th Street access point served in previous seasons as a main connection to I-35.
By giving yourself a little extra time and being aware of these changes, you'll set yourself up for the best possible gameday experience from start to finish. Visit TexasLonghorns.com/Parking for individualized parking and traffic flow maps as well as important traffic updates all season long.
The nation's best pregame is back and better than ever!
Get ready, Longhorn Nation—your favorite pregame traditions return bright and early at 8 a.m.! Bevo Blvd pres. by H-E-B, Longhorn City Limits pres. by Hollister, Smokey's Midway pres. by Conecuh Sausage, Hook `Em Hangout, and Big Bertha's Bazaar at Moody Center are all set to welcome fans for another unforgettable gameday.
Arrive by 8 a.m. and celebrate Texas gameday with the Bevo Parade on Bevo Blvd!
I always get asked my favorite parts of Texas gameday. Without question, seeing Longhorn Nation line the streets on Bevo Blvd and welcome Bevo, Texas Cheer, Texas Pom, the Longhorn Band, and Hook `Em for the Bevo Parade pres. by TFBI is always a personal favorite. They say "Everything's Bigger in Texas" and no other program in the country has a grander entrance for its mascot on gamedays than The University of Texas. The Bevo Parade ushers in a new home season officially at 8 a.m. followed by Coach Sark and the team arriving at approximately 8:45 a.m. for the Stadium Stampede. I can't wait to see the Burnt Orange and White revive these signature traditions as we ramp up to kickoff.
Cory Morrow and Y'all Out Boy get Season Seven of Longhorn City Limits kicked offCan't wait to see y'all @ DKR-TMS next weekend🤘🏽
— Chris Del Conte (@_delconte) August 29, 2025
🏈Gameday Central: https://t.co/PmYBSQttUV
🚙Parking & Traffic Flow: https://t.co/PkXnUkgmMZ
📲Mobile Tickets & Apple Binding: https://t.co/8dQFp5JkQj
🍿Concessions: https://t.co/hbwl68r5oa
🤝Fan Services: https://t.co/pbpJOPjw4u
Last week, we were proud to announce Texas Country legend Cory Morrow and Austin's fan-favorite pop-punk and emo cover Y'all Out Boy will kick off a new season of Longhorn City Limits at LBJ Lawn presented by our new friends at Hollister. I hear from so many of you that Y'all Out Boy is one of your favorite LCL experiences, and we are thrilled to get the party started early with them at 8:30 a.m. The party won't end after the game ends, as Cory Morrow will cap off an incredible home opening gameday with a full set back on the lawn. This year at LCL, fans will enjoy an enhanced Tito's Tailgate upon entry to the LBJ Lawn as well as the brand new Bulleit Frontier Lounge in front of the LBJ Fountain. Our team at 1883 Provisions Co. will debut the Bulleit Bourbon Peach Lemonade and Bulleit Blackberry Tea, two new signature craft cocktails, at the Bulleit Frontier Lounge. Admission to LCL will continue to be FREE for all fans, so come out early beginning at 8 a.m. and tailgate with these great artists. In addition, we are excited to bring Pinkerton's BBQ and their award-winning Texas BBQ back and we will have new fan photo ops at Longhorn City Limits this season.
come early and stay late 🤘🎤#HookEm pic.twitter.com/RUEaOZfnr6
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) August 28, 2025
Stetson, Lucchese, Branded Bills highlight unique product launches at Big Bertha's Bazaar at Moody Center
Introduced just last season, Big Bertha's Bazaar at Moody Center has quickly become a must-stop gameday tradition, and year two promises even more. Each home game, fans will find fresh product launches from some of the best Texas licensees, offering premium merchandise you won't see at any other gameday retailer. This Saturday, shop the limited-edition Stetson x Texas Longhorns collection along with new arrivals from Lucchese, Branded Bills, BCKR, Horn Legend, Stewart Simmons, Zoo Zats, and more. Plus, don't miss the debut of a Texas player t-shirt customization station powered by Athlete's Thread. Snap photos at new gameday photo ops, grab a picture with Big Bertha herself before 8:45 a.m., sip signature cocktails at the Bazaar Bar, and catch the day's college football action on the big screen. From shopping to socializing, Big Bertha's Bazaar promises to deliver a true Texas tailgating vibe all season long.
New concession items, Fan First menu additions, and Celebrity Chef Program highlight food and beverage enhancements this season!
Our partners at 1883 Provisions Co. have been hard at work to continue elevating the food and beverage experience at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, and we have some fantastic new options for fans. Beginning this season, fans will find new signature menu items including turkey legs, wagyu brisk mac & cheese bowls, and Asian fusion hot dogs at multiple concession stands around the stadium. Our fans located on the lower west side will enjoy a new grab 'n go/self check-out location near Section 7 on the concourse that will improve the speed-of-service and ease congestion in that area of the stadium, similar to our lower east side improvements last season.
For an eighth consecutive year, we will provide our Fan First Menu including 15 items with an average discount of 30% off all game long. In addition, we are happy to announce the addition of $5 Bud Light/$6 Corona Extra 12 oz. beers to the Fan First menu that fans can enjoy until the end of the third quarter all season long. Happy Hour pricing ($5.50 domestic beer/$6.50 premium beer) will continue to be offered pregame at Bevo Blvd, Longhorn City Limits, Smokey's Midway, and Hook `Em Hangout. You can find a full list of concession locations here!
For our fans in select premium areas, we are thrilled to announce the Celebrity Chef Program at Texas Football games this fall. Curated by Chef Aaron May, the world-renowned culinary "fixer" for athletes and celebrities and Food Network mainstay, our guests can anticipate unique menu items from Chef May and our game-by-game celebrity chefs all season. This week, we are excited to welcome Chef Damaris Phillips, winner of Season Nine of Food Network's Star and Southern & Hungry co-host, to the San Jose State game. To view individual premium club menus for this week's game, click here.
Stay in your seats at halftime for the Showband of the Southwest and celebrate championship success
Make sure to be in your seats during halftime this Saturday when the Showband of the Southwest performs its first halftime show of the season! Immediately following that, we will recognize our two national championship teams (Men's Swimming & Diving, Softball) and nine conference championship teams on the field. We will then celebrate Texas Athletics' second consecutive Learfield Directors' Cup, marking the fourth time in the last five seasons that we've earned the crown as the nation's best athletics department. We live by the mantra "The pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas will not be entrusted to the weak or the timid," and I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff for once again reaching the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics success.
Longhorn Nation, your comfort, safety, and gameday experience matter most to us. While the forecast looks cooler than normal this time of year, do your part by drinking plenty of water before, during AND after our games this September. To help, we'll have 16 free "water monsters" stationed around DKR — just ask any usher to point you to the one closest to your seat. Fans are also welcome to bring in one (1) factory-sealed plastic water bottle (up to 1 liter). Please note that no other outside drinks or containers are permitted. And if you need to cool off, St. David's HealthCare is providing four cooling stations at Sections 32, 106, 118, and 124, complete with fans, cooling towels, and plenty of water.
Here's your complete Saturday schedule
• 6 a.m. – Parking lots open
• 8 a.m. – Gate 8 Ticket Resolution opens for mobile ticket support
• 8 a.m. – Bevo Blvd pres. by H-E-B, Smokey's Midway pres. by Conecuh Sausage, Hook `Em Hangout, and Big Bertha's Bazaar open
• 8 a.m. – Bevo Parade pres. by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance on Bevo Blvd (fans line up at 7:45 a.m. at South Entrance on Bevo Blvd)
• 8 a.m. –Tito's Tailgate and Bulleit Frontier Lounge open at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Hollister
• 8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. – Photo ops with Smokey the Cannon on Smokey's Midway
• 8 a.m. – Hook 'Em Herd (pres. by Dick's Sporting Goods) signups begin for kids ages 7-12 across from Gate 1 on Bevo Blvd (spots available on first-come, first-served basis)
• 8 a.m. - The Flat Creek Estate Wine Garden opens for the general public on the north side of DeLoss Dodds Way near Trinity St.
• 8 a.m. – Texas Exes Tailgate opens at Alumni Center for Texas Exes members
• 8 a.m. – Sports Radio AM 1300 AM The Zone Longhorn Gameday Pregame Show LIVE at Hook `Em Hang
out begins • 8 a.m. – Gate 25 and Gate 25 Ticket Resolution opens for Big Ticket holders (UT students)
• 8:30 a.m. – Y'all Out Boy LIVE at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Hollister
• 8:45 a.m. – Stadium Stampede team arrival on Bevo Blvd (fans line up at 8:30 a.m. at North Entrance on Bevo Blvd)
• 9 a.m. – Ticket Resolution at Gate 1 and 32 open for mobile ticket support
• 9 a.m. – All stadium gates and Longhorn Foundation hospitality areas open
• 9 a.m. – Texas Soccer autographs on Bevo Blvd across from Gate 1
• 10 a.m. – Longhorn Band March to the stadium (starts on Robert Dedman Drive near Longhorn City Limits)
• 10:30 a.m. – Bevo Blvd, Longhorn City Limits, Smokey's Midway, Hook 'Em Hangout, and Big Bertha's Bazaar close
• Pregame - Hook `Em Herd pres. by Dick's Sporting Goods, Longhorn Band Pregame Show, and B-1 Bomber Flyover by the 345th Bomb Squadron out of Dyess Air Force Base
• 11 a.m. – Kickoff vs. San Jose State!
• Halftime – Longhorn Band Halftime Show
• Halftime – 2024-25 Team Champions and Learfield Directors' Cup Recognition
• Postgame – Cory Morrow LIVE at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Hollister
For a full list of activities and everything you want to know about all-things gameday, please visit our Football GameDay headquarters page.
Volleyball hosts top-10 showdown against Stanford in Moody Center on Sunday
The action on the Forty Acres this coming weekend won't stop with Football's home opener on Saturday. That's right, our Volleyball program will make its first appearance at Moody Center on Sunday (Noon CT/ESPN) when No. 6 Stanford comes to Austin for a top-10 showdown presented by State Farm! Coach Elliott and our No. 2 Longhorns are off to a fast start after recording a pair of sweeps against top-12 opponents at last weekend's Opening Spike Classic in Madison, Wis. Our ladies opened the season with a 3-0 victory against No. 12 Creighton on Friday, paced by a double-double of 12 kills and 15 digs from Torrey Stafford in her Longhorn debut! The team returned to the court on Sunday in front of a crowd of 11,678 fans at the Kohl Center and claimed an impressive 3-0 sweep over No. 8 Wisconsin. You better learn the name Cari Spears, as our fab frosh recorded 11 kills while hitting .476 during the win. I've got to give a shoutout to Emma Halter, who anchored the defense and earned recognition on Monday as BOTH the SEC Player of the Week AND SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Now it's a quick turnaround and a road trip east to Houston to face Rice on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT/ESPN+) before returning to Austin to host Stanford on Sunday.
Our team has a lot of fun things planned for Sunday's match that will showcase Moody Center's state-of-the-art technology and amenities. We're also excited to welcome back and celebrate over 40 of our volleyball alumni this weekend. Doors will open at 11 a.m. and the first 1,000 fans to visit the Texas Athletics table inside the west concourse will get "Longhorns Watch Women's Sports" t-shirts while supplies last. Sunday's match in The Mood is one of the hottest tickets in town. While tickets for this match are SOLD OUT through Texas Athletics, fans who are still looking to attend should visit SeatGeek, the official fan-to-fan marketplace of Texas Athletics. A reminder that tickets purchased through SeatGeek are the only tickets purchased on marketplaces that are support by Texas Athletics.
movin' on up to No. 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/P9tdlqE1Ue
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) September 1, 2025
Important mobile ticket information for Apple iPhone users
For our fans with Apple devices, Apple has instituted Account Binding when single game transfers or purchased tickets from Texas Athletics are downloaded to your Apple Wallet. To protect your account, you should always download your mobile tickets to your primary phone that you want to use for the 2025-26 Texas Athletics season before transferring any tickets. When you download your first single-game ticket to your device, your Apple ID will be bound/linked to your Texas Athletics ticket account. Please note that downloading season tickets, which utilize ALL-IN-1 technology, do NOT bind your account, however it is highly recommended you immediately download your tickets from your account to the iPhone that you will use to scan at gates on gameday to avoid any confusion with any single game tickets you may hold. To learn more about this process, please visit TexasLonghorns.com/GoMobile and click on the 'Apple Account Binding' tab.
Download the new Texas Longhorns app!
Longhorn fans, your gameday experience just got better! Texas Athletics has launched the brand-new Texas Longhorns mobile app, designed to be your all-in-one hub for everything Longhorns. Fans are encouraged to turn on push notifications to receive exclusive gameday alerts, special offers and important updates before, during and after the game. Download the new Texas Longhorns app today on your iPhone or Android device today and stay closer to the action!
Texas Athletics announces 2025 Hall of Honor Class
We're so excited to induct 10 former UT student-athletes into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor on Friday, Sept. 12. These 10 individuals in the Class of 2025 are true Longhorn Legends and the best of the best. The ceremony will start at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) in the LBJ Auditorium and Conference Center on the UT campus. Tickets are available now for $25 per person. We'll also give the newest members of the Hall a special salute during the Football game versus UTEP on Saturday, Sept. 13.
our 2025 Texas Athletics Hall of Honor Inductees 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/VmmppcAOyf
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) July 23, 2025
Hook 'Em Horns,
P.S. — Thanks Coach Corso for everything you have done for College Football!
it's been an honor, Coach 🤘🫡#HookEm pic.twitter.com/vp1nIyecgZ
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) August 30, 2025
P.S. — What a weekend for Volleyball and Soccer!
what a weekend for our girls 🤘👏#HookEm pic.twitter.com/sdP7iPdqf2
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) August 31, 2025
P.S. — So good to see our Cross Country teams back in action!
good to be back on the course🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/jgSy27AUaW
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) August 31, 2025
P.S. — Great read in the Alcalde on our new President!
Here's a first look at the cover story of the September | October issue of the Alcalde, featuring Jim Davis, the 31st president of The University of Texas. Learn about his Longhorn roots and his vision for the future → https://t.co/U00yIn51iX pic.twitter.com/rYJbrWDiTN
— Texas Exes (@TexasExes) August 29, 2025
P.S. — Get yours today!
get 'em quick y'all 👟🤘https://t.co/yOsHs4H9C9#HookEm pic.twitter.com/7kA03D6hB0
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) August 28, 2025
P.S. — Big-time shoutout to Kendra Scott for taking care of our Cheer and Pom!
shout out Kendra Scott for hooking it up for Cheer and Pom 🤘#HookEm | @KendraScott pic.twitter.com/AmnZXDo4Da
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) August 28, 2025
P.S. — Check out the Class of 2029!
Class of 2029 showed UP for their class photo 🧡🤘#CollegeColorsDay pic.twitter.com/cbTTMji5Iy
— UT Austin (@UTAustin) August 29, 2025
P.S. — Gotta love Coach Vic's annual first-day-of-class routine!
couldn't miss the chance to wish our girls a happy first day of class 🤘✏️#HookEm pic.twitter.com/J1KthZRCfM
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) August 25, 2025
P.S. — The season is just around the corner for Coach Miller and our guys!
school is in session 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/G6kJJqnhXQ
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) August 29, 2025
P.S. — Congrats to a Longhorn Legend, Emma Sticklen, on her new position!
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻, 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗻! 🎉
— Penn Swimming & Diving (@PennSwimDive) August 27, 2025
The three-time NCAA champ and NCAA record holder in the 200 fly from @TexasWSD has joined our staff as an assistant coach!
📰 https://t.co/pmfFis87uj#FightOnPenn 🔴🔵🏊 pic.twitter.com/27DrfPp4NW
P.S. — We see ya flashing the Horns, Eliot Spizzirri!
Eliot Spizzirri puts up his Horns after his first ever Grand Slam main draw victory! He downs Stefan Dostanic, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to advance to the second round of the @usopen! #HookEm 🤘🎾 | @espizz11 | 📹 ESPN/US Open pic.twitter.com/CcSuIbHuuS
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) August 24, 2025
HEADLINES:
No. 2 Volleyball's Emma Halter named SEC Player and Defensive Player of the Week:
Video: Steve Sarkisian postgame press conference (Week 1 – Ohio State):
Women's Golf tabbed No. 2 in Golf Channel's preseason rankings:
Men's Golf claims No. 1 spot in preseason Golf Channel rankings:
Video: Steve Sarkisian media availability (August 28):
Video: Longhorn Weekly presented by Texas Lottery (Week 1 – Ohio State):
Baseball unveils fall schedule:
Women's Basketball announces complete 2025-26 schedule:
Video: Jerritt Elliott media availability (August 26):