The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: October 6
10.06.2026 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte
Longhorn Nation,
There are great rivalries in college football, and then there's Texas-OU at the Cotton Bowl every October. Folks, you know what week it is — time for one of the most spectacular, iconic and downright one-of-a-kind traditions in all of sports: THE ALLSTATE RED RIVER RIVALRY! There's no grander venue than the majestic, historic Cotton Bowl. No better backdrop than the great State Fair of Texas — the sights, the sounds, Big Tex booming his welcoming, "Howdy!" and that unmistakable aroma of corny dogs (and fried foods galore) filling the air. Then, right in the heart of it all surrounded by carnival games, the classic carousel and Ferris wheel, the stadium splits straight down the 50-yard line: Burnt Orange on one side, crimson on the other. It's one of college football's greatest showcases and one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports. Think about the history. The gravitas. Great teams, larger-than-life players and memorable, game-changing plays. The dramatic finishes and memories passed down through generations of families and friends making that October pilgrimage to Dallas year after year. It's tradition. It's passion. It's pride. And it's time to tee it up for another chapter of Texas-OU!
We missed y'all last week and as the saying goes, ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER … and we're always stoked about this week and look forward to traveling north for our family reunion! Coach Sark and our Horns charge into the 122nd meeting between these two college football giants rested, recharged and ready to roll. After a much-needed bye week following our gritty, hard-fought 20-17 victory at Tennessee, we're 4-0, ranked No. 1 in the nation for the fourth straight week, and bringing a whole lot of Texas Fight to the rivalry that goes back to the turn of the century in 1900 (and has been played on a neutral field in Dallas every year since 1929!). It's a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC — a kickoff time I know y'all are big fans of — and SEC Nation will be broadcasting live from the Fairgrounds. All eyes will be on this one and there is always plenty on the line. You can throw out the records and the rankings, and rest assured our guys are locked in and preparing for another tremendous opportunity. And we know what's always at stake: that coveted Golden Hat we want to celebrate with once again and keep in its rightful place here on the Forty Acres. The magnitude of this game speaks for itself. The stakes are enormous and the stage doesn't get any bigger. Dallas, here we come. The Cotton Bowl is calling. Get your Burnt Orange and White best ready, show off your patented passion and pride with those Horns held high and let's bring that Texas Fight!
The rivalry continues 🤘 🏈 Allstate Red River Rivalry 📅 Saturday, Oct. 10 | 2:30 PM CT 📍 Cotton Bowl | Dallas, TX 📺 ABC https://t.co/HbAbKUdLYW
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 5, 2026
We had LOTS OF TEXAS FIGHT and so did you as y'all packed the house and raised the roof for our Longhorns triumphant return to The Greg over the weekend. We're so grateful for the incredible environment and home-court advantage you provide, cheering your hearts out for Coach Elliott and Volleyball. It started with a 3-0 sweep of Mississippi State on Friday and carried over to Sunday's 3-1 win over Alabama. Torrey Stafford was en fuego, leading our Horns with 38 kills in the back-to-back home wins (20 on Friday, 18 on Sunday) while Cari Spears added 17 kills on Sunday to push her past the 500-career-kill plateau. A huge shoutout to Torrey, who was named SEC Player of the Week, along with our Rella Binney — SEC Setter of the Week — and Henley Anderson, the SEC Freshman of the Week. Now they're headed to Fayetteville on Friday (7 p.m. CT/SEC Network+) for a matchup against Arkansas followed by a Red River Rivalry matchup against Oklahoma in Norman on Sunday (2 p.m. CT/SEC Network+). We'll be back in Gregory Gym soon enough with Auburn and Florida in town for matches on Oct. 16 and 18 — can't wait to see you there. In the meantime, get those Horns Up and let's Hook 'Em!
shoutout to Longhorn Nation for showing out on a Sunday 🤘 #HookEm https://t.co/SK2Hx3Pz9m
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) October 4, 2026
A little rain didn't slow things down on Sunday as RED RIVER RIVALRY WEEK OFFICIALLY COMMENCED with Soccer's thrilling 2-1 victory over No. 21 Oklahoma at Mike A. Myers Field. Amalia Villarreal — our SEC Player of the Week — netted both goals in that one, including the game-winner in the 81st minute of the match. What a statement win that was (and a second-straight SEC victory at that!) to launch the week! That's just the beginning as in addition to Football and Volleyball, there's a lot going on with our Longhorns this week. With a 7-2-3 mark (2-1-2 in SEC play), Soccer travels to Lexington on Friday to take on Kentucky (6:30 p.m. CT/SEC Network+). Beach Volleyball dodged the Austin storms as well and got its fall season underway over the weekend taking on TCU at Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex and will be back in the sand on Friday through Sunday at the SEC West Coast Championships in Manhattan Beach. Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving travel to Bloomington on Friday (11 a.m. CT) to square off with Indiana and Northwestern. Men's and Women's Tennis are in action in a number of competitions this week, too. And looking ahead, Men's and Women's Golf are set to head to Scotland to tee it up in the St Andrews Links Collegiate early next week as well. It's all Longhorns, all the time — ALL GAS, NO BRAKES, y'all!
it's that time again 🤘 #HookEm | @SeatGeek https://t.co/BBtqTdsLg4
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) October 5, 2026
And in closing, we received some sad news on the Forty Acres on Friday with the PASSING OF LONGHORN LEGEND DUKE CARLISLE. The quarterback and valuable leader on our first National Championship team in 1963, Duke starred for Coach Royal and forever etched his name in the rich history of Texas Football. A member of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor and Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, his legacy is also honored with a bust in the southwest corner of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium alongside the three other Longhorn quarterbacks who led the Horns to National Championships. But as great as Duke was on the football field — and he was truly one of the greats — he was an even better person. As those that knew him best on the Forty Acres and beyond would tell you, he carried himself with class, humility and a deep love for Texas, and remained a proud and treasured member of the Longhorn family throughout his life. Duke will be dearly missed but never forgotten, and his impact on this great University and our Football program will live on for generations. We send our heartfelt thoughts, prayers and condolences to his family, friends, former teammates and all who knew and loved him. Rest in peace, Duke, and thank you for everything you gave to Texas.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor member, Duke Carlisle. Our thoughts & prayers go out his family, friends, and teammates. https://t.co/LxDnpPHth5
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 2, 2026
See y'all Saturday at the Allstate Red River Rivalry!
With so much happening around the State Fair and entry into Cotton Bowl Stadium, a little preparation will go a long way toward making your day as smooth as possible. If you have tickets through Texas Athletics, please TAKE A FEW MINUTES BEFORE HEADING TO DALLAS to review these important gameday reminders:
• Download your mobile ticket(s) in advance by logging in to your account and saving them directly to your digital wallet before leaving for the State Fair. Your game ticket will also serve as your admission to the fairgrounds, and screenshots will not be accepted.
• Make your transportation plan now and give yourself plenty of extra time. The State Fairgrounds open at 7 a.m., so whether you're driving, using rideshare, or taking the DART, know your route before you head our way and plan to arrive early.
• Stadium gates open at 11:30 a.m., three hours before kickoff. Fans needing ticket assistance can visit the Texas Ticket Resolution locations between Gates A & B and outside Gate J beginning at 11:30 a.m.
• Use the stadium entry gate listed on your mobile ticket. Texas Athletics strongly encourages fans to enter through Gates A, B, C, D, E or G and enter at the designated entry gate listed on your mobile ticket(s).
• Please remember the Cotton Bowl re-entry policy: physical pass-outs will only be issued at halftime at Gates A, C, G and J, and fans must re-enter through those same gates. Fans exiting at another gate or at another time will not be permitted to re-enter.
And while you're enjoying the Fair, be sure to stop by the Texas Longhorns Official Team Shop at Cotton Bowl Plaza outside Gate A for exclusive Red River Rivalry gear. The shop will be open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., so there will be plenty of opportunities to load up on Burnt Orange before kickoff. Get there early, enjoy everything that makes this rivalry so special, and LET'S TURN THE METROPLEX BURNT ORANGE!
Here's the full timeline for this Saturday!
7 a.m. - Parking lots open
7 a.m. - State Fair of Texas fairgrounds open
8 a.m. - Midway, Tower Building, and outdoor concessions open
11:30 a.m. - Cotton Bowl Stadium gates open
11:30 a.m. - Ticket resolution locations open between Gates A & B and outside Gate J
12:15 p.m. - Team bus arrival – Cheer on the Longhorns as they arrive on Coliseum Drive
2:30 p.m. – Kick-off
Make sure to add this one to your Must-Watch List!
Folks, if you haven't checked out Episode 1 of 'Texas Rising Presented by St. David's Healthcare' on LHN, STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND STREAM IT NOW! Trust me, one watch and you'll be hyped for the upcoming 2026-27 Men's Basketball season. This four-part docuseries offers an all-access look at Coach Miller's program, detailing the offseason roster construction and preparations for the season before following the team through their non-conference schedule and into SEC play. A friendly reminder that LHN is your one-stop shop for everything Longhorns, including press conferences, highlights, exclusive interviews and a whole lot more.
Episode 1 of Texas Rising presented by St. David's HealthCare is out now on LHN! 🤘 https://t.co/QlcTjRkoQ1 https://t.co/wABTEqZKlo
— LHN (Longhorn Network App) (@LonghornNetwork) September 29, 2026
Hook 'Em Horns,
P.S. — All Eyes on Texas!
ALL EYES ON TEXAS🤘🏻📺 After drawing last week's largest TV audience with 9.7 million viewers tuning in to ABC's broadcast of the Horns' win at Tennessee, @TexasFootball stays atop the list of most-watched teams in college football this season (9 million viewers pg), per Nielsen. https://t.co/FMgMcQPxxZ
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) September 30, 2026
P.S. — We see ya Ant! What Starts here!!
The rookie has been on🔥 https://t.co/uP9KWPRdCD
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 1, 2026
P.S. — Bijan, too!
Outpaced the Pack Your NFC Offensive Player of the Week, @Bijan5Robinson! https://t.co/y1IY5JQhn3 https://t.co/G5lT6L8GVq
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 30, 2026
P.S. — We see ya Cari! Look out record books!!
and counting 🤘 #HookEm https://t.co/orsdBKAHWs
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) October 4, 2026
P.S. — To the victors!
chile pepper champions 🤘🌶️ #FloKnows x #HookEm https://t.co/Izyc1uhphS
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) October 4, 2026
P.S. — Last week's Annual Career Fair was a big hit once again!
Texas Talent travels well beyond the game 🤘 always awesome to have our Student-Athletes attend our annual @texasstudentservices Career Fair! #HookEm https://t.co/xmsMJnDoQe
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) October 2, 2026
P.S. — Gear up and get yourself Red River Rivalry ready!
get Red River ready 🤘 available online at the Texas Longhorns Official Team Shop at DKR-TMS NOW & Moody Center on Friday!🤘 🔗: https://t.co/ujdBzRjuZ2 #HookEm
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) October 1, 2026
P.S. — Lessons to live by from a legend, thanks for sharing Coach Bowman!
I've coached over 30 Olympic gold medals. I've worked with some of the greatest athletes in history. Here are the lessons I wish more people understood:🧵 https://t.co/jiRe6o9gtK
— Bob Bowman (@coach_bowman) October 2, 2026
HEADLINES:
Video: Steve Sarkisian press conference (Oct. 5):
Video: No. 1/1 Football player media availability (Oct. 5):
Men's Cross Country wins Chile Pepper Festival:
Video: No. 1/1 Football's Cryer joins The Paul Finebaum Show (Oct. 1):
Video: No. 1/1 Football's Kanu joins The Jim Rome Show (Sept. 30):
