The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football earns 2025-26 Coca-Cola Bowl Season Team Challenge Title
03.05.2026 | Football
Texas leads the way in on-field success, community service, and fan engagement.
SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Longhorns and their passionate fan base have been awarded the 2025–26 Coca-Cola Bowl Season Team Challenge Championship, capturing the honor in just the second year of the program. Texas' postseason success extended well beyond its victory in the 80th Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, as the Longhorns delivered an exceptional performance both on and off the field to earn this year's recognition—an achievement that reflects the full spirit of bowl season. The trophy presentation is tentatively planned as a part of Texas' final spring practice day and event on April 18th.
"Congratulations to Texas on being named the 2025–26 Bowl Season Team Challenge Champion," said Nick Carparelli, Executive Director of Bowl Season. "This award is designed to recognize the programs that best represent what bowl season is all about—success on the field, meaningful community impact, and passionate fan engagement. The Longhorns demonstrated a complete bowl season effort by excelling across all three pillars."
Now in its second year, the Bowl Season Team Challenge was created to annually recognize the college football program that best exemplifies the core pillars of bowl season: On-Field Success, Community Service, and Fan Engagement.
"We're extremely proud of Coach Sarkisian and our football program and thrilled to see them recognized for their outstanding performance at the Citrus Bowl," said Chris Del Conte, UT Vice President and Lois and Folger Athletics Director. " The way our team represented Texas throughout bowl week and on game day exemplified everything Texas 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 Sarkisian and the first-class operation he has established and continues to build on."
The Longhorns captured the Bowl Season Team Challenge title as the FBS program that successfully fulfilled all three criteria of the competition.
1. ON-FIELD SUCCESS
To satisfy the on-field success criteria, programs must qualify for and win a non–College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl game. This season, 82 teams reached the six-win threshold required for bowl eligibility, with 70 selected to compete in the 35 bowl games outside the CFP. Texas earned its place in bowl season through a strong regular-season performance and capped its postseason with a victory over Michigan in the 80th Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, advancing in Team Challenge consideration.
2. COMMUNITY SERVICE
As part of its bowl week activities, the Texas football program made a direct impact in the host community by participating in the "Day for Kids" event at Fun Spot America. Longhorns players spent the morning engaging with children from across the Orlando area, including youth from the West Lakes communities surrounding Camping World Stadium, one of the event's designated impact focus areas. By dedicating time and resources during bowl week, Texas reinforced its commitment to service and to using the bowl experience as a platform to positively impact local communities beyond the field.
3. FAN ENGAGEMENT
The Coca-Cola Bowl Season Pick'em Game returned for its second year, giving fans the opportunity to predict the winners of all 47 postseason games across Bowl Season and the College Football Playoff. The free-to-play game allowed fans to follow results throughout December and January while competing for prizes, including tickets and airfare to the next CFP National Championship Game.
Among the programs that satisfied the on-field success and community service criteria, Texas led all teams in fan participation within the Pick'em Game. That level of engagement secured the final requirement for the Longhorns to capture the 2025–26 Bowl Season Team Challenge title.
The continued growth of the Coca-Cola Bowl Season Pick'em Game and Team Challenge underscores the passion of college football fans nationwide, and Coca-Cola Bowl Season looks forward to expanding the program and its impact in the years ahead.
About Bowl Season
Bowl Season is one of the greatest and longest running traditions in American sports, taking place in late December and running through early January, and has been college football's post-season for over 100 years. It promotes the grand tradition of the bowl system and its endearing value to student-athletes, highlighting the broader university and college communities, including spirit squads, marching bands, athletic staff and fans. Bowl Season spotlights the distinctiveness of each of the bowl games along with their histories and traditions and their proud communities - embracing and honoring the bowl experience for present and future generations.
