The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: February 3
02.03.2026 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte
Longhorn Nation,
It's that time of year again, a chance to get together Wednesday night for the ANNUAL TOWN HALL folks and we can't wait to see you there (6 p.m. CT in the Touchdown Club at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium and streamed live on the FREE LHN app).
hear straight from the boss himself 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/mKOBLqH6Gr
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) January 21, 2026
With that said, WE STAMPEDED THROUGH LAST WEEK — now let's make this one another memorable one. As the kids say, last weekend was absolute fire, my friends! From the always entertaining Annual Baseball Fan Appreciation Day and Alumni Game, to home and away Red River Rivalry triumphs for Men's and Women's Basketball, to the epic scene at ESPN's GameDay show on Sunday — The Pride and Winning Tradition of The University of Texas was on full display! We took down a rival in the pool, too, with both No. 1 Men's and No. 2 Women's Swimming and Diving delivering full-on dominance in a pair of dual meet victories over Texas A&M in enemy waters on Friday in College Station. Men's Golf brought home the team title from the Arizona N.I.T., Women's Tennis got a pair of road wins in Big Ten country, and Track and Field produced record-setting performances, too. Last week was wall-to-wall Burnt Orange and White Texas Fight, my friends … so here we go — let's do it again.
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! This week brings Men's AND Women's Basketball at Moody Center, our National Champion Softball team opening its title defense in San Antonio, and the previously mentioned Annual Town Hall on Wednesday. And then — what starts here takes center on stage Sunday with four Longhorns to cheer for in Super Bowl LX. Horns Up Folks. What an incredible time it is to be a Longhorn!
Before we look ahead, we've got to take a victory lap for the weekend that was. It started Friday with a TEXAS-OVER-TEXAS A&M TWO-STEP in College Station, as both Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving displayed total domination in decisive dual meet victories. The No. 1-ranked men rolled to a 230-70 win, keeping its perfect dual-meet record intact at 5-0 this season— and extending Coach Bowman's unblemished mark to 13-0 over two seasons. Coach Capitani and the No. 2-ranked women followed suit, taking down the Aggies 207-92. Up next, both squads set their sights on defending their SEC titles at the conference championships on Feb. 16-21 in Knoxville.
Saturday it was UP GO THE HORNS AND DOWN GO THE SOONERS! Men's Basketball erased a 14-point first-half deficit and rallied down the stretch for a convincing 79-69 Red River Rivalry road win. Rivalry wins just hit different — the locker room was rockin' and the celebration hoppin' after that one. And how about Coach Miller's milestone victory, notching the 500th win of his career in his 21st season as a head coach. Longhorn Nation, I know you'll love these comments — and we're fired up to have Coach Miller leading our program. After a rugged road swing last week, it's back to home sweet home at Moody Center this week with South Carolina later tonight (6 p.m. CT/SEC Network), followed by Ole Miss on Saturday (1 p.m. CT/ESPN2). Looking forward to seeing everyone at The Mood.
500 feels good 🤘#HookEm | @SMillerUT pic.twitter.com/JTwWVUUZwq
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) January 31, 2026
SUNDAY WAS A SIMPLY MAGICAL DAY — and truly unforgettable. With all eyes on Texas, y'all showed the world the electric atmosphere that Coach Schaefer and our No. 4-ranked Women's Basketball team enjoy each and every time out. From the energy surrounding College GameDay's first-ever appearance at Moody Center to a wire-to-wire win over No. 10 Oklahoma, it was a special day in every sense. And talk about home-court advantage — Longhorn Nation delivers. Our Horns stampeded to a 38th straight home victory (2024-current), tied for the nation's longest active streak! I echo Coach Schaefer's message to Longhorn Nation after the game: "You guys make this special. The atmosphere that you create, the support you give these kids is unmatched. I want you to know how much we appreciate you — and y'all keep coming back." We couldn't be prouder of this group, Coach! Next up is No. 5 LSU on Thursday (8 p.m. CT/ESPN). Let's be ready to keep the raucous environment comin' and the good times rollin'!
a pretty great day in The Mood 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/MpjpyysejO
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) February 1, 2026
BASEBALL GOT 2026 UNDERWAY LAST WEEK with the Annual Fan Appreciation Day and Alumni Game — and y'all showed up and showed out. We are incredibly grateful for the support and the atmosphere you brought to UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The pitching duel ended with a 2-1 victory for our current Longhorns over the alumni, putting the icing on the cake for a fantastic day with Coach Schloss and our Horns. Now it's on to the season, with the first pitch set for a home series against UC Davis on Feb. 13-15. See you at The Disch soon!
NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME SOFTBALL, Y'ALL. Coach White and our defending National Champions open the 2026 season this weekend at the UTSA Invitational — and our Horns begin the year right where they left off, ranked No. 1 in the nation. You know you've got a squad when five (count 'em — FIVE!) Longhorns — Reese Atwood, Ashton Maloney, Kayden Henry, Teagan Kavan, and Katie Stewart) — land on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year top 50 watch list. That's elite talent, and there's plenty more where that came from. We're fired up to get things rolling, and we know you are too. In the meantime, you can get charged up by reliving last season's unforgettable National Championship run with the three-part "Talk About Texas" series on LHN. Fire up the app, settle in, and enjoy The Pride and Winning Tradition of The University of Texas at its finest!
a look at the week ahead 🤘#HookEm | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/fTBqxUnU4L
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) February 2, 2026
There was some hardware delivered on Sunday as well as MICHAEL TAAFFE WAS PRESENTED HIS WUERFFEL TROPHY and here's to another round of applause for our richly deserved honoree. The award goes to a student-athlete that best exemplifies community service, academic excellence and athletic achievement and as an All-American on and off the field, Michael is exactly that. He is our second Wuerffel winner, joining Sam Acho (2010) who was there to welcome him to the club and celebrate alongside Michael and his family on Sunday. Michael had a busy week, first competing on the field at the Senior Bowl then hustling to Atlanta to be presented with the Wuerffel Trophy. We all know What Starts Here Changes the World and Michael, we are so incredibly proud of you and excited to see all your success in the next chapter of life. Congrats my friend!
Honoring the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy winner 🤘🏆@MichaelTaaffe4 x @WuerffelTrophy pic.twitter.com/FUUPEcn2b7
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) February 1, 2026
Men's Basketball set for pair of crucial home SEC games this week!
It doesn't take a basketball savant to see that Coach Miller is getting our guys to play at a much-higher level as the calendar turns to February. Now we need you, Longhorn Nation, to bring that patented pride and passion and help us get on a roll over the next few weeks. After a hard-fought 88-82 loss at Auburn last Wednesday, it was a quick turnaround for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday up in Norman. But Texas Fight was on full display, as trailing 61-55 with 8:37 left in the contest, the Longhorns hit their stride and closed the game with a 24-8 run to rally for a much-needed 79-69 victory over the Sooners. Five players reached double figures in scoring, led by a double-double by Mr. Do-It-All Dailyn Swain with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals. How good has Dailyn been of late? Over the last four games, he is averaging 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals per game while hitting almost 65-percent from the floor and over 44-percent from three-point range! Our sharp-shooter Cam Heide got hot from distance again with 13 points and knocked down 3-of-4 threes, and I've got to give a shoutout to Sim Wilcher who provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, two assists and some big-time defense down the stretch. Now let's follow the lead of Coach Miller and give our guys the best home crowds of the season when we take the court later tonight against South Carolina (6 p.m. CT/SEC Network) and follow that up again on Saturday (1 p.m. CT/ESPN2) when we welcome Ole Miss to The Mood!
had some heat on it, no problem for the Horns🤘#HookEm | #AlwaysCompete pic.twitter.com/gDgdeQ1hut
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) February 2, 2026
Women's Basketball continues homestand against Top 25 foes!
After an 11-day layoff due to a bye week and an unexpected game postponement due to weather, Coach Schaefer and our No. 4 Longhorns put it into high gear this past week with a pair of big-time SEC victories. Our ladies began the week with an 88-68 win over the Gators in Gainesville on Thursday night. Madison Booker led the way with 24 points and our big-time freshman Aaliyah Crump added 14 points while knocking down 3-of-4 threes. Then it was right back to work in the ATX. Fans, you set the tone early on Sunday morning with an incredible turnout for ESPN's GameDay show, and the Longhorns followed with a brilliant performance in a 78-70 victory over No. 10 Oklahoma in front of a sellout crowd in The Mood. Five Longhorns reached double figures in scoring during the win, as Mid-Range Maddie and Justice Carlton led the way with 16 points each. And you know I've got to give some love to the best point guard in the country, as Rori Harmon made it happen on both ends of the court at an elite level. Do me a favor and check out this unreal sequence that shows Rori's all-out effort! The gauntlet of the SEC schedule continues this next week with a pair of huge home games. First up is No. 5 LSU on Thursday (8 p.m. CT/ESPN) and mark your calendars for Monday, Feb. 9 (6:30 p.m. CT/SEC Network) when No. 16 Kentucky visits Moody Center. Let's continue pack The Mood and bring the energy!
some Monday morning highlights to start your week off right ☕️🎬#HookEm pic.twitter.com/vBv7aMd6Hl
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) February 2, 2026
Hook 'Em Horns,
P.S. — So cool! Like Father, Like Daughter INDEED!
it's a family affair 🤘🫶#HookEm pic.twitter.com/sLwRkdrPYa
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) February 1, 2026
P.S. — Point Guard Extraordinaire!
keeping y'all on notice 🤘😮💨#HookEm pic.twitter.com/1iOnOzv1BD
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) February 2, 2026
P.S. — Sarah Graves, SO TALENTED!
had to give y'all a proper welcome 🫶🎨#HookEm pic.twitter.com/svFHcl28g9
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) February 1, 2026
P.S. — Men's Golf brings home a title!
starting the spring with a 🏆
— Texas Men's Golf (@TexasMGolf) January 28, 2026
Team Champions. Arizona N.I.T. #TakeDeadAim pic.twitter.com/2L8j1QxycT
P.S. — Records fell for Track and Field last weekend!
add the Texas 60mH record to @teenyman2's name🤘‼️#FloKnows x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/peOYPaLjOc
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) January 31, 2026
oops, she did it again 🤘@GiavonnaMeeks throws for 23.65m (77-7.25) to break her own program record‼️#FloKnows x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/3UgyOOz0Ze
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) January 30, 2026
P.S. — And more records fell in the pool in College Station!
record breaker 😎#HookEm pic.twitter.com/FsFTDkMyjL
— Texas Women's Swimming & Diving (@TexasWSD) January 30, 2026
A 25-year-old record falls 🏊♂️#HookEm pic.twitter.com/9LeU1VJpO9
— Texas Men's Swimming & Diving (@TexasMSD) January 30, 2026
P.S. — Football's off-season workouts are off and running … 2026 here we come!
Everything is earned 🤘 pic.twitter.com/SZ5wFRO08y
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 29, 2026
P.S. — No one had more pride, passion & love for the Longhorns than Scott Wilson — he will never be forgotten!
forever a part of UFCU Disch-Falk Field#HookEm pic.twitter.com/llWN8W9eNA
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) January 31, 2026
HEADLINES:
No. 11 Women's Golf in third place at Therese Hession Regional Challenge:
Men's Basketball signee Goosby named McDonald's All-American:
Three Women's Basketball signees named McDonald's All-Americans:
Video: Sean Miller appears on "On Texas Basketball" podcast (Feb. 2):
No. 1/1 Softball scheduled for 14 games on ESPN Family of Networks:
Video: Sean Miller media availability (Feb. 2):
Harmon selected to Nancy Lieberman Award Point Guard of the Year Midseason Top 10:
Kevin Durant claims spot in 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
No. 18 Women's Tennis secures 5-2 win at Wisconsin:
Track and Field's Smallwood breaks 60m hurdle program record:
No. 2 Women's Swimming and Diving downs Texas A&M, 207-92:
No. 1 Men's Swimming and Diving dominates Texas A&M, 230-70:
No. 5 Men's Tennis falls at No. 6 Ohio State, 4-1:
Video: Texas and Os Episode 15 with Carol Capitani, Jonah Williams and Nic Codie:
Track and Field's Meeks breaks weight throw program record again at Razorback Invite:
No. 18 Women's Tennis earns 6-1 win at Iowa:
Video: Vic Schaefer, Rori Harmon media availability (Jan. 30):
No. 1/1 Softball lands four on Preseason All-SEC Team, predicted to win 2026 SEC Championship:
No. 5 Men's Tennis' Gorzny named SEC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week:
Trio from No. 4 Men's Golf named to Ben Hogan Award Watch List:
No. 4 Men's Golf uses dramatic finish to win team title at Arizona N.I.T.:
No. 1 Men's Swimming and Diving sweeps SEC weekly honors:
No. 2 Women's Swimming's Cox earns SEC Swimmer of the Week:
Softball tops NFCA/GoRout Coaches Poll:
Women's Basketball's Harmon, Booker named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List:
