Forty Acres Insider: March 31

Chris Del Conte head shot 2025

Longhorn Nation,

We've got National Championships, Tower Lightings, rivalry wins, and now a trip to the Final Four — THE SUCCESS OF OUR LONGHORNS ACROSS THE BOARD is no joke … even with April Fools' Day right around the corner. We can start the victory toll with Lighting the Tower Orange for Men's Swimming and Diving and their second-straight NCAA Championship (and a third consecutive Natty for our guy Coach Bowman). Women's Basketball is still dancing, dialed-in, and Taking Dead Aim on a National Title of their own — advancing to the Final Four for the second-straight year with Monday's emphatic 77-41 victory over No. 9 Michigan. Baseball rolled to a Red River Rivalry sweep of No. 8 Oklahoma at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, while just across the street Softball took two-of-three against No. 15 Texas A&M to raise the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown trophy with Horns held high. Beach Volleyball claimed three more top-10 wins, including taking down No. 1 UCLA, Men's and Women's Tennis got two more SEC wins each, and Rowing swept all four grand finals against some of the nation's top-ranked teams at the San Diego Crew Classic, too. IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE A LONGHORN!

BACK 2️⃣ BACK! 🏆

The @TexasLonghorns are your 2026 DI Men's Swimming and Diving National Champions, winning two straight national titles! 🤘#NCAASwimDive x 📸 @TexasMSD pic.twitter.com/CGwnfuqvuo
— NCAA (@NCAA) March 29, 2026

It was an ALL GAS, NO BRAKES WEEK ON THE FORTY ACRES with victories across the board, and now we're rolling that momentum straight into Easter Weekend. All eyes are on Texas once again as Women's Basketball heads to Phoenix for the Final Four, while the 98th running of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays takes center stage at Mike A. Myers Stadium from Wednesday through Saturday. Beach Volleyball is back in action at Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex, and Tennis is set to compete both home and away. Meanwhile, Baseball and Softball continue their SEC road swings, and Soccer hits the pitch in San Marcos against Texas State. Y'all already know — it's all Longhorns all the time. So get those Horns Up and let's Hook 'Em!

Speaking of getting hooked! Let's talk about that patented PRIDE AND WINNING TRADITION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS folks. Men's Swimming and Diving's Natty is our 69th all-time National Championship (65 NCAA Championships) and 14th in the last six years — and to put a finer point on it, those titles have come from eight different programs. That's not just success … that's sustained, across-the-board excellence. Even more impressive — our Horns have captured at least one National Championship in 11-straight full academic years (excluding the COVID shortened 2019-20 season). Year after year, sport after sport —the standard is the standard. Like Coach Schaefer said, "we're chasing greatness," and that's exactly what this program is built on. Not just winning — but competing, developing, and rising to the top on the biggest stages. That's the standard on the Forty Acres. And rest assured, we're not slowing down!

That makes it 69 all-time National Championships for Texas 🤘🏻

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Over last 6 years, Horns have a 14 NCAA Titles by 8 different programs https://t.co/FjMgYN1lqG
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) March 29, 2026

That's why Saturday's NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FEELING and raising that trophy high is oh-so sweet. For Men's Swimming and Diving it was so nice, they did it twice in-a-row (and for Coach Bowman it's three-straight!). And we'll be Lighting the Tower to celebrate our victors tonight so come on out and join us. Our Horns led from start to finish in outdistancing runner-up Florida decisively, 445.5 to 416 — securing our program's 17th all-time Natty and 11th since 2000. The 800-freestyle relay of Rafael Fente-Damers, Camden Taylor, Rex Maurer and Baylor Nelson set the tone by bringing home the title to open things up on Wednesday, added a sweep of the 100 and 200 backstrokes by Hubert Kos — with an NCAA, U.S. Open, Meet and Program Record in both of the events to boot — as well as victory from Rex, who defended his national title in the 400 IM (and set an American Record in the process). All totaled 12 Longhorns registered big points with All-America finishes and two more earned honorable mention All-America accolades. Nothing like that traditional final dip in the pool in recognition of a job well done! Congratulations fellas — our Horns have now won seven of the last 11 National Titles — let the dynasty continue!

Bob and the boys repeat as National Champions 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/HSm4IRo6a6
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) March 29, 2026

WHAT A SCENE IT WAS IN FORT WORTH as Longhorn Nation showed up and showed out for our Women's Basketball Sweet 16 and Elite Eight NCAA Tournament games. In return, y'all were treated to some more extraordinary hoops, a 52nd-straight Longhorn win on Texas soil, and a joyful Final Four celebration from Coach Schaefer and our Horns. It was utter domination on both ends of the court with two more wins (that makes it 12 straight victories, folks!) as we've now outscored our four NCAA Tourney opponents 340-198 — a staggering +142 point differential, the second-most ever by an SEC team entering the Final Four — to punch our ticket for the fifth time in program history. This marks a significant milestone too, as we're headed to consecutive NCAA Final Fours for the first time since 1986-87. It started at Dickies Arena on Saturday, when our Horns delivered another emphatic example of thrive and advance with a 76-54 victory over No. 16 Kentucky, sending us to the Elite Eight for the third-straight year and fifth time in six seasons under Coach Schaefer. Then came Monday night's stampede — a blazing 22-9 first-quarter start and a relentless defensive effort that held the Wolverines' high-scoring offense (83 points per game) to a season-low 41. The best player in college basketball, Madison Booker, led the way with 19 points, while point guard extraordinaire Rori Harmon continued to cement her legacy. After stuffing the stat sheet in the Sweet 16 (11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, six steals) she followed it up with 13 assists in the Elite Eight — pushing the pace and igniting both the squad and Longhorn faithful. Rori now stands alone as the only player in D-I women's basketball history with 1,500 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 350 steals — truly one of one! Seeing the nets cut down in Fort Worth was special — but this team isn't finished. Built for more. Focused. Locked in. Not Done Yet! Up next: UCLA on Friday in Phoenix (8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN) with a trip to the National Championship on the line. Can't wait to see Longhorn Nation bring the energy once again — wherever you are, keep rocking that Burnt Orange and White and Hook 'Em as we support this spectacular team!

your Texas Longhorns are HEADED TO PHOENIX 🤘🏆#HookEm pic.twitter.com/CaF0cUTJRZ
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 31, 2026

Texas Fight was on full display for Coach Schloss, No. 2 Baseball and Longhorn Nation in a RED RIVER RIVALRY SWEEP at UFCU Disch-Falk Field — our first sweep of the Sooners in a dozen years. It started with a statement: a 14-run, 17-hit, seven-inning run-rule shutout rout of No. 8 Oklahoma on Thursday night. Then came the drama. Back-to-back thrilling come-from-behind walk-off wins sealed it. First, Ashton Larson delivered the series clincher with a 10th-inning RBI single in Friday's 4-3 win. Then on Saturday, Casey Borba stepped up with the bases loaded and two outs — and delivered like he has all season — singling up the middle to bring home Adrian Rodriguez for a 5-4 win and series sweep. That's rivalry baseball and Texas Tough at its finest. Y'all brought it all weekend long — and there's nothing like singing The Eyes of Texas as one after taking down your rival in dramatic fashion. That moment never gets old … and it hits a little different after a sweep. Up next: Texas State rolls into UFCU-DFF later tonight (6:30 p.m. CT/SEC Network+), before our Horns hit the road to open an early SEC weekend at South Carolina on Thursday through Saturday.

the best fans in college baseball 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/eVXfovxzDo
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) March 29, 2026

It was rivalry week for Coach White and No. 1 Softball, too — and the Horns delivered. We welcomed in No. 15 Texas A&M and SECURED THE COTTON HOLDINGS LONE STAR SHOWDOWN HARDWARE with a series win over the Aggies. With y'all bringing the heat and filling the park, our squad matched it pitch-for-pitch. Friday's series opener was a classic. Hannah Wells drove in Viviana Martinez in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk it off, 9-8. Saturday, do-it-all Reese Atwood's third-inning homer gave us the lead for good at 3-2, and ace Teagan Kavan slammed the door with four straight outs to secure the series. That win stretched the program-record winning streak to 29 straight victories before Sunday's hard-fought 9-7 loss — and now it's time to start a new one. Next up: a top-10 showdown in Tuscaloosa as our Longhorns (31-2, 8-1 SEC) take on No. 7 Alabama on Thursday-Saturday.

new hardware 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/vNejbCsk4d
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) March 28, 2026

My heart was full watching the INCREDIBLE DISPLAY OF TEXAS FIGHT from Coach Miller and Men's Basketball in our Sweet 16 game last Thursday. Battling injuries and adversity our Horns showed what they're made of. Jordan Pope fought through a broken foot to knock down four-of-nine threes for 12 clutch points, while Tramon Mark was on an absolute heater — pouring in 29 points while battling through a sprained ankle suffered early in the second half. That was just some of the heroic efforts against the No. 2-seeded Big Ten Champions from Purdue as our Horns battled to the bitter end in a 79-77 thriller decided at the buzzer. It wasn't the ending we wanted, but what a run. From the First Four to the Sweet 16, coming just shy of the Elite Eight — this team embodied The Pride and Winning Tradition of the University of Texas every step of the way. Thank You Longhorn Nation, for showing up and showing out all season long. The foundation is set, the standard is clear — and the future of Texas Men's Basketball is incredibly bright. Horns Up!

what a run, thank you, fans🤘#AlwaysCompete | #HookEm pic.twitter.com/38nWH1bEOl
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 27, 2026

So here's to seeing y'all, getting those Horns held high, and hoping everyone enjoys a fantastic, family-filled Easter Weekend. We've got plenty to celebrate in the Burnt Orange and White — from Women's Basketball's Final Four run, to the always electric Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, plus Baseball at home later tonight before both the hardball and Softball squads take to the road for a weekend series that starts a day early on Thursday this holiday weekend. On the heels of a huge weekend that saw Coach Metzger and No. 6 Beach Volleyball take down No. 1 UCLA, No. 3 USC and No. 10 Long Beach State at the Texas Invitational at Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex, our Horns are right back in action at home with the Longhorn Showdown on Friday and Saturday. Women's Tennis is at the Texas Tennis Center against Florida on Thursday (2 p.m. CT) and Auburn on Saturday (Noon CT), while Men's Tennis takes to the road to battle Ole Miss on Thursday (1 p.m. CT) and Auburn on Saturday (Noon CT). Women's Golf's Farah O'Keefe, Lauren Kim and Cindy Hsu earned invitations to compete in the prestigious Augusta Women's Amateur on Wednesday through Saturday. Soccer and Volleyball round it out with a spring matches this week — Soccer travels to San Marcos to take on Texas State on Friday evening (5:30 p.m. CT), while Volleyball heads to H-Town to face Houston on Saturday (4 p.m. CT on ESPN+). LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU — that beautiful Burnt Orange and White shining bright with pride and spirited Texas Fight!

another busy week for the Horns 🤘#HookE, pic.twitter.com/zJV56BgRk6
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) March 30, 2026

And to close it out, I'm FIRED UP FOR OUR GUY COLT MCCOY as this year's UT commencement speaker. What an incredible player, leader, and representative of our great university — a true Longhorn Legend in every way. How special for the Class of 2026 to hear from him on the field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium where he starred, set records, and left an unforgettable legacy with that iconic retired jersey No. 12. Looking forward to it, my friend!

No. 12 is coming back to DKR!
From unforgettable moments with Longhorn Nation to this full-circle return...
We're proud to welcome Colt McCoy as the 2026 Commencement speaker. 🤘 🎓

Learn more: https://t.co/LtPFjWKvoE pic.twitter.com/xit4q1v4qg
— UT Austin (@UTAustin) March 27, 2026

Let's give Women's Basketball a Texas-Sized Send-Off to Phoenix This Afternoon!
If you're in Austin, please try to adjust your schedule this afternoon to help send Women's Basketball to Phoenix in style! Coach Schaefer and our ladies will be departing from Moody Center Plaza around 3:15 p.m. There will be paid parking available in Brazos Garage, and you can pick up your Final Four-bound posters in Moody Center Plaza while supplies last. Longhorn Nation, let's get together in a few hours outside The Mood and show this special team and staff how proud we are of their outstanding accomplishments!

one last chance to cheer on the Horns before we hop a flight to Phoenix! 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/UH0hB02fs0
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 31, 2026

Hook 'Em Horns,

Chris Del Conte

P.S. — Horns Up to a phenomenal weekend!

How about our 🤘🏻 weekend !?@TexasMSD: National Champs🏆@TexasWBB: Advances to Elite 8@TexasBaseball: Red River sweep@TexasSoftball: Lone Star Showdown series W@TexasBeachVB: 3 top-10 wins, including No. 1@TexasRowing: Swept all races@TexasMTN &@TexasWTN: 2 SEC wins each pic.twitter.com/cyfoXLR5rW
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) March 29, 2026

P.S. — A great day to be a Longhorn indeed!

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE A LONGHORN 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/fiPkL1xDik
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 31, 2026

P.S. — We see ya Coach Miller, thanks for being in Fort Worth!

Texas supporting Texas 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/Lc3dOqmWiO
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 31, 2026

P.S. — Defending his title and setting an American Record in the process!

YOUR 400 IM BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPION 🏆

Rex Maurer defended the title and claims the American record and program record 😤#HookEm pic.twitter.com/7IhUgko2hC
— Texas Men's Swimming & Diving (@TexasMSD) March 26, 2026

P.S. — Another sweep this weekend and in record-setting fashion, too!

THE BIRTHDAY BOY SWEEPS THE BACKSTROKE EVENTS IN RECORD BREAKING FASHION 🧹#HookEm pic.twitter.com/P0L62UHFtS
— Texas Men's Swimming & Diving (@TexasMSD) March 28, 2026

P.S. — Always fun to have the M.O.C. in the house, appreciate you dropping by!

had a pretty special practice visitor today 🤘#HookEm | @McConaughey pic.twitter.com/zcqvXTpEzj
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 25, 2026

P.S. — Thanks for coming out Colt!

Great to have Longhorn Legend @ColtMcCoy in the house supporting Final Four-bound @TexasWBB 🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/h3rvNhm72q
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) March 31, 2026

P.S. — HOOK 'EM, HORNS!