Category: University of Texas

Hockey in Texas? Longhorn Hockey team makes history in tourney sweep

The University of Texas Hockey team makes history in Colorado

It wasn’t football or basketball making history for the University of Texas this past weekend. In fact, it wasn’t even an NCAA-sanctioned sport. Instead, it was the club hockey team that etched its name in the record books, completing a flawless 4-0 run at the Big Mountain Hockey Conference tournament.  Playing against the likes of top-tier hockey schools in Colorado the Longhorns played four days of elite hockey.

The tournament began Friday night at the Epic Ice Center in Fort Collins, where Texas faced Colorado State. The Longhorns secured a nail-biting 5-4 victory, fueled by standout performances from Ian Silberstein, Charlie Drage, and Brayden Stevenson. Andrew Kungle was unstoppable, scoring twice and helping maintain the lead despite a late surge from Colorado State.

Saturday morning brought another battle, this time against Michigan State University at the Promenade Ice Center in Westminster. After trailing 0-1 in the first period, the Longhorns rallied. Kungle’s goal in the second period tied the game, setting the stage for a third-period push. Silberstein, Drage, and Kungle each found the back of the net, lifting Texas to a 4-3 victory.

Sunday evening’s matchup at the Greeley Ice Haus against Bowling Green was a high-scoring thriller. Tied 2-2 after the first period, the Longhorns exploded with three second-period goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Donte Pierre shined with back-to-back goals, while Lucas Robins, Silberstein, and Owen Just added to the offensive onslaught. Despite a late push by Bowling Green, Texas held firm for a 6-4 win, marking their third straight victory.

The final game on Monday morning against Weber State University was a defensive battle. With the score locked at 0-0 through two periods at the Greeley Ice Haus, Kungle once again proved clutch. He broke the deadlock with two third-period goals, including a dramatic game-winner with just 22 seconds remaining. Texas emerged with a hard-fought 2-1 victory to cap off the tournament.

Didn’t know the Longhorns had hockey? You’re not alone. It’s not officially sanctioned by the SEC or NCAA, instead it competes as a recreational sport club registered with the University in the American Collegiate Hockey Association or ACHA. As part of a growing hockey movement in the south, the team has seen increased success in recent years, breaking team records and being the highest qualifying Texas team during the 2023-24 season boasting 22 players from 9 different states.

The Longhorns hockey team will take on the Texas A&M Aggies in a back-to-back series on Friday and Saturday just as men’s basketball will host the Aggies in the Moody Center on Saturday at 1pm on ESPN. Beyond that the Hockey team will face Texas State University, then they’ll hope to compete in the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs in Dallas.

Hockey isn’t uncommon in the SEC, where an organization formerly known as the Southeastern Hockey Conference has rebranded itself as College Hockey South, an elite hockey conference within the Amateur Athletic Union. Several SEC schools, along with other southern institutions, are actively involved in this conference. While hockey may not be a priority for Greg Sankey, it’s always heartwarming to witness students making efforts to excel in their passion for the sport.

UT Austin President and SEC advocate Jay Hartzell leaves for SMU

Texas President Jay Hartzell to resign, set to take same role at SMU.

Jay Hartzell, the man who held the key to Texas’s bid to the SEC, announced on Tuesday in an email to students his decision to resign at the end of the semester to join the Texas NIL powerhouse, Southern Methodist University.

In a message to the UT community, Hartzell reflected on his decision, saying it aligns with his personal philosophy of following passions, taking risks, and striving to make a meaningful impact.

“I am very grateful to Chairman Kevin Eltife and the UT System Board of Regents for the incredible opportunity they provided me to serve UT Austin in this role. As I look back on the last five academic years, with their support, our University has accomplished a great deal. This has been a team effort, including the leadership of our great state, the Board of Regents, the Chancellor and UT System staff, UT Austin’s faculty, staff, students, and their families, and of course, our amazing alumni.”

Prior to serving as the president, Hartzell held the esteemed position of the 12th dean of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Renowned for its size and distinction, the McCombs School of Business is one of the country’s leading business schools. Hartzell’s journey to UT began in 2001 after his tenure as a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Before his role as dean, he held several key administrative positions at the McCombs School of Business.

Hartzell also served as a key piece to the Texas move to the Southeastern Conference, leading conversations with Oklahoma Joe Harroz and Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte and Joe Castiglione.

Where does Texas ranked among schools that won Olympic medals?

Texas Longhorns rank in the top three of schools that produced the most medals from the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

A significant portion of the US Olympic team’s talent pool comes from the collegiate athletics system, which produces a large number of current and former Olympians. Roughly three-quarters of American Olympians in Paris participated in collegiate competitions. This demonstrates the value of collegiate athletics in producing elite athletes, and the University of Texas was a major resource for the United States and even other countries competing in the Summer Olympics.

Let’s look at where the Texas Longhorns ranked among other schools in terms of the amount of Olympic medals won at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.

Three schools tied at number 11. The University of Georgia, Arizona State, and Notre Dame all had former and current athletes earn 10 Olympic medals each.

Then three schools tied at number 8. The University of Kentucky, the University of Florida, and Lousiana State University.

Now here is a look at the top seven schools that produced the most Olympic athletes who won medals at the Paris Summer Games.

No. 7 UCLA Bruins

According to ncaa.com

GOLD: Jordan Chiles (gymnastics), Jrue Holiday (basketball)

SILVER: Bronte Halligan and Sienna Green (water polo)

BRONZE: Micah Ma’a (volleyball), Garrett Muagututia (volleyball), Chase Dodd (water polo), Ryder Dodd (water polo), and Max Irving (water polo)

No.6 Penn State Nittany Lions

According to psucollegian.com, Penn State did very well in these Summer Olympic games.

Penn State had a school-record 30 athletes participate in the Olympics, including 22 first-time Olympians. The Nittany Lions had the third-most athletes represented in the Big Ten and tied for the fourth-most nationally.

From July 26 to Aug. 11, Penn State athletes won 13 medals. There were two gold, three silver and eight bronze medals. The successful athletes represented the United States, Germany and Poland.

No. 5 USC Trojans

The University of Southern California not only had former and current athletes medals but they had six athletes bring home gold medals. Five of those gold medals were from track and field.

The Trojans also brought home silver in bronze medals in sports such as Water Polo and men’s volleyball.

No. 4 Virginia Caviliers

Saying that the University of Virginia did very well in swimming events in these past Summer Olympic Games is an understatement.

Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh won two gold and two silver medals each as they both had excellent performances in these Summer Olympic games.

No. 3 Texas Longhorns

The University of Texas’s former and current athletes did amazing in the Paris Summer Olympic Games.

Some of the more famous former Longhorns brought home gold medals such as Kevin Durant for Team USA basketball and Scottie Scheffler for USA gold. However, other athletes earned gold medals for the Longhorns such as Tara Davis-Woodhall, Ryan Crouser, and Julien Alfred in track and field events as well as Hubert Kos in swimming.

The Longhorns did well in the swimming pool as did Kos, with Carson Foster, Erin Gemmell, Luke Hobson, and Drew Kibler all earning silver medals. Chiaka Ogbogu also earned a silver medal as part of the USA women’s volleyball team.

Alfred as well as getting a gold medal, also brought home a silver medal from her outstanding performance on the track. She set a new national record in the 100-meter final and then, in the 200-meter, she took home a silver.

Other former and current Longhorn Olympians that brought home an Olympic medal are Caspar Corbeau, Foster, and Hobson who all earned a bronze medal in swimming.

No. 2 California Golden Bears

According to ESPN, Cal just edged out Texas by earning one more medal but the Longhorns had more gold and silver medals overall. However, Cal via their official X account (formerly Twitter) claims to have earned a total of 23 medals.

Either way according to what account and or website you want to believe, Cal is ranked second in schools with athletes who won the most medals.

No. 1 Stanford Cardinals

By far, Stanford is the school that had the most athletes earn a medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.

Stanford brought in 12 gold and 14 silver medals as well as 13 bronze medals from these past Summer Olympics. They are without a doubt the number one university that produced athletes that won the most Olympic medals in the Paris Summer Games.

Texas Longhorns rivals ranked — 8 to 6

Texas Longhorn’s football rivals ranked eight through six as part of a six part serieBayls of ranking their top rivals.

The best and most well-known football rivals for the Longhorns are widely contested, but we’ll list their eight through six top rivals in a countdown to their top five football rivals. As many football fans can imagine, the Texas Longhorns have a long history of rivalries on the football field. Some teams that the Texas football programs have as rivals, still have a great deal of significance to the Longhorns as top rivals on the football field.

Even though the Longhorns’ regular scheduling in conference play has changed since Texas left the Big 12 conference, new rivalries may reemerge, and old rivalries may fade for the time being. Before we rank the Longhorns’ football opponents eight through six, let’s take a quick look at this series of rankings.

This is a six-part series in which this is the first part which will reveal the teams that are considered the Texas Longhorns rivals on the football field that are ranked eight through six. Then each additional part will individually reveal the top five Longhorns rivals one by one ending with the ranking of Texas’s number one ranked rival.

No. 8: Rice Owls

Rice and Texas Rivalry
Texas Longhorns running back Keilan Robinson (7) fights for yardage against Rice Owls defensive end Coleman Coco (44) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Austin, Texas.

The history between these two in-state rivals: There have been 97 football games between these two schools. Nonetheless, Texas has won the previous 16 games between these two in-state football programs, making the rivalry unbalanced.

The miles between these two schools: The distance between these two universities in the state of Texas is roughly 173 miles.

The record between these two football programs: Texas has won 75 games against Rice, while Rice has won 21 meetings against the Longhorns. In 1962, their game ended in a tie. The Longhorns have defeated the Owls in all but one of their meetings since 1966.

Their next scheduled game against one another: No games published til 2031 have these two teams playing each other on the football field. Texas does not have Rice on any of its upcoming schedules, but they have multiple non-conference dates with other in-state schools like UTEP and UTSA.

No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Texas Nebraska football rivalry
Dec 5, 2009; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns kicker Hunter Lawrence (15) kicks the winning field goal for a 13-12 victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Big 12 championship game at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The history between these two football programs: The 14 games they have played against each other have mostly taken place between 1998 and 2010. Although they haven’t played enough games on the football field against one another to rank among the Longhorns’ top-five opponents, they have played in some incredible games, such as the 2009 Big 12 championship game.

The miles separating these two universities: The distance between each school is fairly far in mileage as these two schools are located about 821 miles apart.

Their records against each other in football: Texas has won 10 games against Nebraska, while Nebraska has won four times in this rivalry. In their previous six meetings with the Cornhuskers, the Longhorns have prevailed each time and have a six-game winning streak in this rivalry.

The next scheduled time they play one another: These two teams are not expected to play each other anytime soon because Texas is now a member of the SEC and Nebraska is a member of the Big Ten. But soon, they might square off in a bowl game or even the college football playoffs.

No. 6 Baylor Bears

Texas and Baylor rivalry
Tim Warner/Getty Images

The history between these two in-state football programs: There have been more than a hundred football games between these two schools. The Longhorns have won 81 games compared to Baylor’s 28 victories in this rivalry with four games ending in a tie ball game. Texas has won seven of the previous nine games between these two Texas football programs in this in-state rivalry.

The distance between these two schools: These two Texas schools are only about 104 miles apart.

The record against each other in this football rivalry: In this in-state and former Big 12 rivalry, the Longhorns have won over 80 games while Baylor has won just under 30. Texas has defeated the Bears 24 times since 1993.

When they are supposed to play each other again: As of schedules released through 2033, Texas has not booked any Big 12 schools from the state of Texas. Nevertheless, there are gaps in the schedule from 2028 onward, so they may play Baylor again in the near future.

Part two in this series of ranking the Longhorn’s top eight rivals will be the No. 5 ranked rival of Texas in football.

Ranking the Texas Longhorns top five rivals in football

Which teams are ranked in the Texas Longhorns top five rivalries

There is much debate about ranking the Longhorn’s top rivals in football but we will rank their top five rivals.

The Texas Longhorns have a rich history of rivalries on the football field as many fans can imagine. While the departure of Texas from the Big 12 has shifted who the Longhorns will consistently play on the football field, a group of football programs continue to hold significant importance on the football field with Texas. Here is a brief look at the Longhorns’ football rivals before we rank them one through five.

Oklahoma Sooners: This is arguably one of the most historic and popular rivalries in college football. Known simply as the Red River Shootout, but the name has changed over the years as it was briefly named the SBC Red River Rivalry as the name was used in 2005 to distance the game from gun violence and then the AT&T Red River Showdown in 2014 after AT&T became a sponsor and finally, the  Allstate Red River Rivalry used in 2023 after Allstate secured naming rights for the annual game.

TCU Horned Frogs: The rivalry intensified once the Horn Frogs joined the Big 12, fueled by both teams’ success in conference play. They have played one another every year from 2012 to 2023 but that is changing with the Longhorns’ move to the SEC. This matchup has become increasingly competitive throughout the past four years with each game being decided by a touchdown or less.

Texas A&M Aggies: The Lone Star Showdown is arguably one of the top three fierce and intense in-state rivalries with deep-rooted animosity between the two schools. The move of Texas to the SEC has only intensified the rivalry as these two teams will play one another in football for the first time since 2011.

Arkansas Razorbacks: Although not as intense of a rivalry in the 21st century compared to the 20th century since these two schools have played one another only six times this century, the rivalry with Arkansas has historical significance and carries importance for both fanbases and is revised since both schools are now in the SEC.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: Although the Cornhuskers left the Big 12 in 2012, there is still a great deal of animosity among alums and fans of both teams. Though the two programs have only faced off 14 times, a good number of those matches have been exciting with them playing one another three times in the Big 12 Championship game. The last four times they have played one another, the games have been decided by seven or less points.

Rice Owls: The Longhorns and Owls were conference rivals years ago in the Southwest Conference from 1915 to 1995. The Longhorns have played the Owls nearly a hundred times on the football field throughout the years.

Baylor Bears: While not always at the same level as the other in-state rivals, the in-state rivalry with Baylor has grown in intensity, especially with Baylor’s success in recent years with the Bears winning two of the last five games they have played one another. However, like TCU, these two teams are unlikely to play one another with the Longhorns now in the SEC.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: The last time that these two teams did not play one another was way back in 1959. In the Battle For The Chancellor’s Spurs, this rivalry has been intense and high-scoring recently in games going back to 2015. The Longhorns have the upper hand in this historic meeting but Texas Tech even if they lose to Texas, they make the games more interesting than not in terms of the final score.

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Where Texas is projected for the 2024 College Football Playoffs

Texas Longhorns are projected to make the College Football Playoffs again.

Almost every major national publication has Texas going back to the Colleg Football Playoffs this year.

Before we discuss where the Texas Longhorns are projected for the 2024 College Football Playoff, there were significant changes from previous years with the expansion to a 12-team format, and here is a look at what it will look like.

How it Works:

  • Selection of the 12 teams:

    • The top five ranked conference champions are selected. More than likely being the champions of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and Mountain West will earn a top-five seed.
    • The next seven highest-ranked teams (regardless of conference) are also selected. For example, Notre Dame and other highly ranked teams from the Power Four conferences will likely be selected.

  • Seeding for this season’s playoffs:

    • The top four conference champions are seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. The conference winners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 will be rewarded a first-round bye in the first year of the new 12-team college football playoffs.
    • The fifth conference champion is seeded based on their overall ranking. Likely, the conference champions from the Mountain West or American Athletic Conference will be selected for the playoffs.
    • The remaining seven teams are seeded 5-12 based on their overall ranking. Even if Texas does not win the SEC this season, they can still have a home playoff game for the first round if ranked five through eight.

  • Bracket format for the playoffs:

    • Teams seeded 5 through 8 will host first-round games against teams seeded 9-12 in the playoffs. For example, if Texas were to receive the 7th seed they would host the 10th seed in the first round.
    • Winners of the first-round games advance to play the top four seeds in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

  • College Football 2024 Semifinals and Championship Game:

    • The four remaining teams compete in the semifinals and championship game similar to last season’s format when it was a four-team playoff.

Key Changes from last season to this season:

  • Expanded Field: The most obvious change is the increase from four to twelve teams, which allows more teams to participate in this season’s playoffs. Even though Texas was in last season’s playoffs, the Longhorns could lose up to two games and still make this year’s playoffs.
  • First-Round Games: The introduction of first-round games adds an extra layer of excitement and competition and will make watching college football in mid to late December a must-watch for college football fans.
  • Bye Weeks for the top-seeded teams: The top four seeds now have a bye in the first round which is an award for the conference champions of the power four conferences.

Now let’s take a look at where Texas is projected to be in this upcoming college football playoffs in various college football preseason predictions.

Athlon Sports has Texas earning the 6th spot in the 2024 College Football Playoffs. They are projecting that the Longhorns will host No. 11 Notre Dame. Then they have Texas after defeating the Fighting Irish, play No. 3 seeded Florida State in the quarterfinals on Jan. 1 in the Peach Bowl. Finally, they have Texas advancing to the semifinals to face off against No. 2 Ohio State on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl. Unfortunately for Texas fans, they are not forecasting the Longhorns defeating the Buckeyes and advancing to the title game.

College Football News has the Longhorns hosting Penn State in the first round of the playoffs on Dec. 21 with the game being on TNT. They then have Texas playing Ohio State in the quarterfinals on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl. However, unlike Athlon Sports projections, they do not have the Longhorns advancing to the semifinals.

Sporting News has Texas ranked higher than the two other previous publications that have been mentioned already as they have the Longhorns as the No. 5 seed hosting No. 12 seed Memphis. They have Texas advancing to the quarterfinals to face off against No. 4 seed Florida State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Then they have the Longhorns going to the semifinals after defeating the Seminoles to play No. 1 seed Georgia on Jan. 9 in the Capital One Orange Bowl. However, as high as Sporting News is on the Longhorns, they have them losing to the Bulldogs in the semifinals.

The New York Times via the Athletic has similar to Sporting News has Texas as the No. 5 seed hosting Memphis in the first round of the playoffs. They don’t give a full project of the playoffs as other publications have but they are quoted as saying,

“The Longhorns came within one play of making the title game last year. Don’t be surprised if they get there this season.”

247 Sports has Texas as the No. 5 seed hosting Liberty in the first round of the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, they have the Longhorns going up against the No. 4 seed Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. They have Texas advancing to the semifinals to play No. 2 seed Georgia in the Cotton Bowl. 247 Sports though does not have the Longhorns advancing to the title game.

Overall, all publications listed have Texas making the college football playoffs. Most have them making it to the semifinals but none of them have them advancing to the championship game. However, the games being played on the actual field this Fall and early Winter will determine how far the Longhorns advance in post season play.

Texas clinches consecutive Director’s Cup Championships

For the second straight season Texas stands above other institutions as the model of excellence.

For the second consecutive year, The University of Texas has won the Director’s Cup. The Director’s Cup is awarded to the Athletic Department that performs best across all sports. Continue reading “Texas clinches consecutive Director’s Cup Championships”

WATCH: Matthew McConaughey speaks at Moody Center grand opening

The Moody Center is officially open for business.

The future home of Texas men’s and women’s basketball programs opened its doors to the city of Austin with a ribbon-cutting celebration on Tuesday.

The opening event featured many prominent speakers such as Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, Texas chairman of the board of regents Kevin Eltife, woman’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer, men’s basketball coach Chris Beard and the Minister of Culture himself, Matthew McConaughey.

McConaughey stole the show with his burnt orange suit and strong charisma. He played a major role in the development of the Moody Center project and its funding.

John Mayer will have the honor of being the first to perform at the new arena on April 20 and 21.

Take a look at a few images from inside Moody Center and some of its exciting features from Monday’s media tour.

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LOOK: Sneak peeks from inside Texas’ new Moody Center

Early looks from the Moody Center are stunning.

The $375 million dollar Moody Center is just days away from its grand opening on April 20. The future home of Texas basketball holds upwards of 15,000 people and will be one of the top-end arenas in college basketball.

The University of Texas announced the project in 2018, partnering up with Oak View Group. The Moody Center is set to replace the historic, 45-year-old Frank Erwin Center.

It is located on campus right off highway I-35 near Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium and Mike A. Myers Stadium.

The Moody Center has already scheduled to host an exciting list of performers in 2022. John Mayer, Bon Jovi and Justin Bieber are among the notables coming to Austin in the near future.

Before the official ribbon cutting session takes place on Tuesday, the media got a first look at the completed Moody Center during a tour on Monday afternoon. Here are some of the cool new features fans can look forward to seeing:

Can Hudson Card still win the quarterback competition at Texas?

While Hudson Card continues to put up a good fight, we likely know how the story will end.

The Longhorns held their first spring scrimmage over the weekend.

Former five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers, the heralded signal-caller from Southlake Carroll, reportedly put on quite a show. Although it was closed to the public, several of his highlights were released by Texas via social media.

Everyone has had their eyes on Ewers since he arrived in Austin, and with good reason. Only one perfectly rated quarterback has come to the Forty Acres (Vince Young), and we know how that story ended. It only heightens the excitement surrounding Ewers becoming the second.

For Ewers to have only been in town for a few weeks and already look comfortable in the offense has to have Longhorns fans extremely giddy (I did not don a blonde wig for nothing folks).

However, in his media availability this week, second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian noted that both Ewers and returning quarterback Hudson Card completed 70% of their passes in the scrimmage. It appears that Card is not going away quietly, and that is what you want to hear.

But can Card still emerge victoriously?

All the evidence at this point says no. There were several factors against Card coming in. One, his pocket presence was shaky. Two, his deep ball accuracy (which is critical in Sarkisian’s offense) was not his strong suit. And third, he was not Sarkisian’s chosen quarterback, whereas Ewers is the guy that Sark is basically putting his career on the line for.

Card needed/needs to be head and shoulders above Ewers to win the job. The fact that he is either neck and neck or behind Ewers slightly suggests that this is Ewers’ team now.

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