The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: March 10
03.10.2026 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte
Longhorn Nation,
We are the Champions, my friends! Light the Tower Orange, folks — WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IS THE CHAMPION OF THE SEC!! What a scene it was in Greenville as the confetti fell and Coach Schaefer and our Horns raised that trophy high in celebration of an SEC Tournament Championship — right there on South Carolina's home turf. The victory capped a heck of a weekend filled with Texas Fight across the board. Softball opened SEC play with a series sweep at No. 24 South Carolina, Baseball grabbed another home sweep at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Beach Volleyball won three of four in Los Angeles with two wins over top-20 opponents, and Women's Tennis knocked down two more SEC victories. As a matter of fact, Baseball and Softball have combined for a 37-1 record – best of anyone in the nation – with 17 run-rule victories (11 by Softball and six for Baseball) thus far this season — how about that for total domination?! We just keep on movin' and groovin' as we spring forward into mid-March. There's a whole lot more to compete for, and we can't stop now — we'll just keep fightin' 'til the end. We're heading into another exciting week with championships on the line at the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament and NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, big-time matchups across many sports, spring football kicking off, and a major announcement teaming Madison Booker — our SEC Tourney MVP — with Legendary Longhorn Kevin Durant in partnership with Nike. It's such a great time to be a Longhorn, and we're so thankful to have y'all along for the ride. Texas Fight!
LIGHT THE TOWER! 🏆🤘
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 8, 2026
the Texas Longhorns are your SEC Tournament Champions!!#HookEm pic.twitter.com/1cjnaTtJ8n
BACK TO THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FEELING! What a performance it was as Coach Schaefer and our No. 3-ranked Horns (riding an eight-game winning streak and up a spot to No. 3 this week) charged out to a 14-0 lead with all gas, no brakes, and went wire-to-wire in an emphatic 17-point SEC Championship Game victory (78-61) over No. 3 South Carolina, right in front of a building full of rowdy Gamecock fans! Our Horns never flinched. They were Texas Tough from the opening tip to the final buzzer with SEC Tourney MVP Madison Booker leading the way. Like Coach Schaefer said — that's what Texas Fight is all about! That toughness showed up all weekend as we rolled past Alabama in the quarterfinals (83-60) and Ole Miss in the semifinals (85-68) on the way to the title showdown. Three games in three days, folks — and our Horns outscored the trio of SEC squads by at least 17 points every night, piling up a 246-189 total (82-63 average) for the tournament. Maddie was a stat-sheet stuffer with 60 points, 25 rebounds and 13 assists — including a career-high 31 in the semifinal win over Ole Miss. Just named finalist for Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of Year award Rori Harmon and the versatile Justice Carlton also shined, earning spots on the All-Tournament team. There were tons of great performances, though we can't overlook the tremendous all-around play and clutch shooting of sophomore Jordan Lee, who tallied double figures in all three games (she now has 27 double-digit games on the season!) and scored 42 points during the tourney to help bring home the crown. What outstanding performances by all! What an extraordinarily connected team. And the best part? They're just getting started. On a side note about our program's consistent success under Coach Schafer — that's now either a conference regular-season or tournament title in each of the last five years (three Big 12 and two SEC). Horns Up to Coach Vic and our squad for that incredible run! With a 31-3 record — the program's third-straight 30-plus win season for the first time since 1985-88 — our Horns have also racked up a nation's-best 14 wins over top-25 teams, including three over top-five opponents. Now they'll get a little time to rest and recover while we wait to see who's next in the NCAA Tournament. One thing we already know – as one of the nation's top seeds, we'll be hosting opening rounds right here at Moody Center, where we have a 42-game home winning streak — the longest active streak in the nation. So, get ready to tune in on Selection Sunday on March 15 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN and prepare to pounce on those tickets. Let's pack the house, raise the roof, and give our Horns a huge home-court advantage as they look to survive and advance.
Your 2026 SEC Women's Basketball Champions 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/2K2YGqpvm7
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 8, 2026
On the men's side, Moody Center was absolutely rocking Saturday night for our regular season-ending Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma. Unfortunately, we dropped a hard-fought overtime nailbiter, 88-85, but we're incredibly grateful for all the Texas Fight y'all brought all night and all season long — you are truly the best fans in the land. THANK YOU, LONGHORN NATION! Coach Miller and our Horns surged late in regulation and battled their way to overtime before falling. However, it was still a special night as Longhorn Nation honored six seniors, including sharpshooter Jordan Pope, who was absolutely en fuego in his final game at The Mood with 30 points — including three clutch free throws with absolute ice in his veins to send the game to OT. The energizer bunny Chendall Weaver did his thing too (just wow, he brought the roof down on this one!) while the marksman Tramon Mark had 17 points in his final home game in the Burnt Orange and White. Horns Up as well to seniors Cole Bott, Brandon Taylor and Lassina Traore for all they've given to the program. We got some great news on Monday as well as Dailyn Swain was tabbed SEC Newcomer of the Year and second-team all-conference. Now it's time to get up, dust off and get ready for postseason play. Our Horns head to the SEC Tournament in Nashville as the 10 seed, tipping off on Wednesday night against Ole Miss (6 p.m. CT/SEC Network). Let's keep those Horns Up and cheer our guys on as they look to finish strong with Selection Sunday and the announcement of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament field right around the corner on March 15 at 5 p.m. CT on CBS.
We're off and stampeding in SEC play for Coach White and No. 3 Softball! Our Horns opened conference season in emphatic fashion with a road series sweep of No. 24 South Carolina in Columbia last weekend. That extended our WINNING STREAK TO 20-STRAIGHT GAMES on Sunday — tying the second-longest run in program history and closing in on the all-time mark of 24 set back in 2006. Runs were at a premium in the series — especially for the home team — and dominant pitching, outstanding defense and timely hitting paved the way for the series victory. Teagan Kavan picked up the win in Friday's tone-setter, while Katie Stewart's two-run homer helped power a 4-2 victory. The Gamecocks would score just two more runs the rest of the weekend against our stingy Horns, who delivered their eighth shutout of the season in Saturday's 3-0 win before finishing off the sweep with a 5-2 victory on Sunday. Now that's how you open SEC play with a bang! You can welcome home our victorious squad Wednesday night against East Texas A&M (6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+) before the Ole Miss Rebels roll into town for a three-game series beginning Friday at Red & Charline McCombs Field. Can't wait to see a full house at the yard cheering on our Horns!
MAKE IT 15-0 FOR NO. 2 BASEBALL! As our Horns get geared up for their SEC series opener (and climbed to No. 2 in the polls), it was another sweep at UFCU Disch-Falk Field — this time over out-of-conference foe USC Upstate. It was a weekend of staying on our toes with rainstorms and schedule adjustments, but that didn't slow down Longhorn Nation from packing the house or our Horns from packing a punch to the tune of 38 runs. Coach Schloss had the squad ready, and y'all brought the Texas Fight as we scored double-digit runs in all three games of the sweep (that makes it five-straight double-digit games, the most for our Horns since 1989). It all started Friday night with a 14-2 run-rule victory that featured five home runs, including a grand slam from Anthony Pack Jr. That was followed by an 11-9 win Saturday in a rain-altered contest where the Horns held off a late Spartan surge. The weekend wrapped up in style Sunday with a 13-3 run-rule walk-off victory thanks to a Josh Livingston bomb. All told, the Horns went yard eight times over the weekend — with Casey Borba and Aiden Robbins launching two apiece — while improving to 15-0 to start the season, just one shy of the 16-straight to open the 2005 National Championship campaign. How about that for taking the season by storm?! Next up, we'll travel down the road to San Marcos to go for number 16 tonight at Texas State (6 p.m. CT on ESPN+) before opening SEC play this weekend when the Ole Miss Rebels roll into town — joining their softball counterparts for a full weekend of action at The Disch and McCombs Field. See you there — Horns Up!
There was PLENTY MORE WINNING GOING AROUND ACROSS THE BOARD LAST WEEKEND — 14-4 overall for the Burnt Orange and White. No. 5 Beach Volleyball took the West Coast by storm, winning three of four matches with a pair of sweeps over top-20 opponents No. 16 GCU and No. 18 Washington. The lone loss came in a 3-2 thriller against No. 1 Stanford. That moves Coach Metzger's Horns to 7-3 on the season with another big week ahead in Manhattan Beach, Calif., facing four more top-20 teams — No. 2 UCLA, No. 10 Cal, No. 9 LMU, and No. 12 Hawai'i. Men's and Women's Tennis battled some challenging weather in the ATX with two matches moving indoors. Coach Joffe and the now No. 9 women picked up a pair of SEC wins, sweeping Alabama at the Texas Tennis Center Thursday, before topping Mississippi State indoors on a rainy Saturday at Weller Tennis Center. The No. 3-ranked men are navigating some injuries, but Coach Berque's Horns kept competing — dropping a heartbreaker to No. 6 LSU Friday at the Texas Tennis Center before coming up short against No. 7 TCU Saturday at Weller Tennis Center. We're right back at home this week as the women host No. 22 South Carolina on Thursday (2 p.m. CT) and No. 1 Georgia on Saturday (Noon CT). Meanwhile, it's rivalry week on the Forty for the men — featuring a Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown with No. 11 Texas A&M on Friday (6 p.m. CT), followed by the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma on Sunday (1 p.m. CT). Fresh off of a tremendous outing at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate — where our No. 9 Women's Golf squad captured the team title and Farah O'Keefe claimed the individual crown — our Horns now prepare to host the Betsy Rawls Invitational next Monday and Tuesday at the UT Golf Club. Meanwhile, Longhorn Diving is underway at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships with NCAA Championship berths on the line, while No. 4 Men's Golf is on the links at the Desimone Invitational in Daly City, Calif. It's March Madness all around for our Longhorns!
the Horns are active this week 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/AplOic0YW9
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) March 9, 2026
What a glorious day it was as Spring Football got underway on Monday for our Longhorns. Coach Sark met with the media following the first practice and shared his thoughts on the start of spring ball and the work ahead. The Horns will continue spring drills on Wednesday and Friday this week before taking a short break for Spring Break. They'll return to the practice field the week of March 23, when it's full go for the final three weeks of the spring. We're already looking forward to welcoming Longhorn Nation back for our annual spring football event on April 18 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, so be sure to get those calendars marked and stay tuned for all the details.
Kevin Durant and UT Launch New NIL Program in Partnership with Nike
We have some exciting news to share about a collaboration with our guy Kevin Durant. It's a comprehensive NIL program that will celebrate a select group of student-athletes as they continue their Longhorn journeys. In partnership with Nike, our very own Madison Booker is the first student-athlete to receive access to KD PEs, footwear and apparel. In other words, Madison will be the first student-athlete under Team KD! We are forever grateful for Kevin and so appreciative of this collaboration with Nike. Kevin's support and loyalty to The University of Texas — especially through its Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation and our athletics program — have been truly special. From the moment he stepped on campus, he's been a Longhorn through and through. As you all know, our guy KD is an incredible representative of Texas and an outstanding ambassador for the Longhorns (always having those Horns Up with pride!). His continued support and this partnership are the beginning of big things that will benefit all of our student-athletes. And Madison is a great one to start with. Like Kevin, she is the epitome of the pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas. Oh, and additionally, alongside Nike and KD's Boardroom, we will also partner on an annual sports business summit open to all UT student-athletes and sports business students with a goal of creating impactful, interactive programming to foster their education in the business space. The inaugural summit will take place later in 2026 and feature marquee speakers, content and storytelling strategy sessions, financial literacy planning, and more. What Starts Here Changes the World, my friends!
KD 🤝 @MaddiewitdaB_
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) March 10, 2026
announcing a comprehensive NIL program celebrating select student-athletes with Madison Booker up first 🤘 pic.twitter.com/1cpFFC7Bh9
Longhorns claim 2025-26 Coca-Cola Bowl Season Team Challenge title
Congratulations to our Football program for claiming the 2025-26 Coca-Cola Bowl Season Team Challenge Title. It's a tremendous honor, and we're incredibly proud of Coach Sark and our football program for earning this recognition following their outstanding performance in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The way our team represented Texas throughout bowl week and on game day exemplified everything Longhorn Athletics stands for. Their commitment to the community and unwavering support of Longhorn Nation is truly second to none. Winning the Bowl Season Team Challenge Title is a testament to the hard work, discipline and championship culture built within our program. It reflects the leadership of Coach Sark and the first-class operation he has established and continues to build on. It's another great honor that launches us toward even bigger and better things in 2026. Can't wait!!
The Texas Longhorns @TexasFootball are your 2026 Team Challenge Winners‼️🤘https://t.co/3jPleIwnJI pic.twitter.com/gx5b59XT5X
— Coca-Cola Bowl Season (@BowlSeason) March 5, 2026
Hook 'Em Horns,
P.S. — What A Weekend!
A Sensational Sunday caps off an awesome 🤘🏻 Weekend‼️
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) March 8, 2026
🏀 Women's Basketball: SEC Champions 🏆
🥎 Softball: Road top-25 SEC series sweep & 20-straight wins
⚾️ Baseball: Series sweep & 15-0 in 2026
🎾 Women's Tennis: 2 SEC victories
🏐 Beach Volleyball: 3-1 with 2 top-20 wins pic.twitter.com/uptjNqMFdB
P.S. — What a scene it was in Greenville!
a stage unmatched. 🏟️#SECWBB x #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/j4hgOYHkhC
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 8, 2026
P.S. — Horns Hoisting the Hardware!
Hoisting the hardware 🏆@TexasWBB x #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/guTNU0tb8c
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 8, 2026
P.S. — MVP, MVP, MVP!
your tournament MVP, @MaddiewitdaB_ 🤘🏆#HookEm pic.twitter.com/K3VIAFaFKh
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 8, 2026
P.S. — More hardware for our Horns — Hook 'Em to your Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Champions!
DARIUS RUCKER INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPS 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/H9GIEZ8bJD
— Texas Women's Golf (@TexasWGolf) March 5, 2026
P.S. — Great having our guy Quinn back on campus last week!
Back on the Forty 🤘@QuinnEwers pic.twitter.com/biSpsV0r7A
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) March 5, 2026
P.S. — Rep the Champs!
rep the champs 🤘
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) March 8, 2026
🔗: https://t.co/InwgCnB83C pic.twitter.com/DrtwphexUb
P.S. — Baseball is en fuego!
first time with double-digit runs in five consecutive games since '89 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/XUV8EMcgnM
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) March 8, 2026
P.S. — Celebrating our Men's Basketball Seniors
our guys 🤘#HookEm | #AlwaysCompete pic.twitter.com/PiWd36Mrek
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 8, 2026
P.S. — Thank You, KD!
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) March 10, 2026
