10 Reasons Why It's Great To Be A Longhorn

By Chat Sports Texas Marketing Ambassadors Anthony Lesha and Taylor Ellis

There are plenty of reasons why it’s great to be a Longhorn – the list certainly doesn’t stop at 10 – but we decided to highlight our favorites, with help from our campus ambassadors, Anthony and Taylor.

10. The City of Austin

There really isn’t a better place to celebrate a win (or try to forget a loss) than downtown Austin. Boasting hundreds of vibrant bars, phenomenal restaurants, and live music at almost every street corner, Austin propels the gameday experience at the University of Texas over the top.

9. The Tailgating

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the tailgating. Every parking lot adjacent to DKR is filled with trailers and trucks cooking barbecue and gearing up to cheer on the Horns.

9. The Food

Speaking of barbecue...if you're looking for a gameday experience that combines a great football environment with great food, look no further. To many, it's quite obvious that Austin is the Mecca for cuisine that Texans love best – barbeque. From tailgates to Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, brisket, pork, and sausage is available everywhere, at all times.  However, if you’re looking for the cream of the crop BBQ (and who isn’t?), make sure to head to Franklin’s, The Salt Lick, or Stubb’s before you head out of town.

7. Bevo

One of the most recognizable mascots in college football, Bevo is taken care of by the Silver Spurs, an Texas alumni association dedicated to funding scholarships, helping with community outreach, and looking after their nearly 2,000-pound longhorn. Bevo can be seen at the corner of the south endzone cheering on the Horns every gameday.

6. Smokey The Cannon

Another unforgettable part of Texas gameday is Smokey The Cannon. Manned by the Texas Cowboys, Smokey is fired off throughout the game, including the end of quarters and after every Texas touchdown.

5. Hook ‘Em Horns

This is, quite simply, the most iconic hand gesture in all of sports. There's nothing else like seeing 100,000+ fans, all decked out in burnt orange and white, putting up their index and pinky fingers in the shape of a Longhorn, screaming for UT to get the victory.

4. The UT Band

The University of Texas Longhorn Alumni Band began in 1964 with 67 members. Now, LHAB consists of over 3,000 members spanning seven countries. On gameday, you can see the band playing “The Eyes of Texas” and banging Big Bertha, a bass drum 8 feet in diameter.

3. “The Eyes of Texas”

“The Eyes of Texas”, UT’s official spirit song, was created by John Sinclair in 1903, and holds a key place within the rituals of a Texas football gameday.  Following the completion of a game, the team heads towards the student section, and both the students and players sing the tune to honor the school in both victory and defeat.  For those involved with UT, this is especially moving, and reiterates the original intent of the song – the state’s flagship university expects great things from its students and alumni.

2. The Tower

Built in 1936 as the first phase in the replacement of the Old Main Building, the UT tower is the centerpiece of the University of Texas campus in the heart of Austin. Standing 27 stories high, the UT tower is slightly taller than the State Capitol. The gold-plated clocks on each face measure more than 12 feet in diameter. It glows Longhorn Orange in celebration of UT victories, and the Tower bells entertain the campus with song.

1. The Tradition

Texas, with the 3^rd most wins of any college football program in history, is steeped in tradition...and on gameday, that proud tradition is on full display. If walking past statues of previous Heisman winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams doesn’t get you enough of the rich history of Texas football, take a stroll through the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center, which displays the Longhorns’ four National Championship trophies, among many other individual and team awards, trophies, and plaques. From the success on the field to the fervor and passion emanating from those in the stadium, Texas’ pride runs deep.

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