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, the UT Hand Symbol and slogan]] Texas Longhorn Athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of The University Of Texas . These teams are referred to as the '''Texas Longhorns''', taking their name from the Longhorn Cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas . The University of Texas at Austin (often referred to as simply the University of Texas, Texas, or the abbreviation UT) is the flagship institution of the University Of Texas System . The women's teams are sometimes called the Lady Longhorns, but generally both the men's and women's teams are referred to as the Longhorns. The University of Texas offers a wide variety of varsity and intramural sports programs. Due to the breadth of sports offered and the quality of the programs, Texas was selected as "America's Best Sports College" in a 2002 analysis performed by Sports Illustrated . VARSITY SPORTS A charter member of the Southwest Conference until its dissolution in 1996 , Texas now competes in the Big 12 Conference (South Division) of the NCAA 's Division I-A. The school's colors are officially Orange and White , with Burnt Orange — also known as Texas Orange — being the specific shade of orange used. Its alma mater is " The Eyes Of Texas ." At football games, students frequently sing " Texas Fight ", the University's fight song, while displaying the Hook 'em Horns hand gesture. The University Of Texas Longhorn Band is also known as the Showband of the Southwest. The school Mascot is a Texas Longhorn named Bevo . Sports Illustrated cover showing Longhorn fullback James "Woo-Woo" Worster running against Arkansas]] Football The University of Texas has traditionally been considered a , Bobby Layne , Tom Landry , Jerry Sisemore, Brad Shearer, Kenneth Sims, Tony Degrate, Doug English, Jerry Gray , Eric Metcalf , Tony Brackens, Priest Holmes , and many more. The Longhorns have a long tradition of winning football games. Only two programs, Notre Dame and the University Of Michigan , have won more games than Texas. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the team was somewhat less successful, but has recently returned to prominence, finishing in the top ten in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. The team currently plays home games in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium which has a Seating Capacity of 80,082. The stadium is undergoing renovations scheduled to start November 14 , 2005 , two days following UT's last home football game of the season. The improvements are scheduled to be completed before the 2006-2007 football season. Under the current bowl system, the Longhorns played their first Bowl Championship Series game in 2005 at the Rose Bowl against the University Of Michigan . The game was the first meeting between the two storied teams and the Longhorns' first trip to the Rose Bowl for a BCS game. The Longhorns defeated the Wolverines 38-37 thanks to a successful field goal kick by Dusty Mangum as time expired off the clock. Three ex-Longhorns from the 2005 Rose Bowl team, Cedric Benson , Derrick Johnson , and Bo Scaife , were selected in the 2005 NFL Draft . The Longhorns are currently coached by Mack Brown and led on the field by Quarterback Vince Young . 2005-2006 Texas Longhorns football See Also: 2005 Texas Longhorn football team led Texas to a fourth National Championship to cap the 2005 season]] Brown, who was often lauded for his recruiting while being criticized for failing to win championships, followed up a strong 2004 season on the field with an extremely successful 2005 recruiting season by securing the top-ranked recruiting class (the 2005 recruiting season is for players entering the University in Fall 2006). With the exception of Cedric Benson , Derrick Johnson , and Bo Scaife , Texas returned most of their key players from 2004 - 2005, including red-shirt Junior Quarterback Vince Young . Texas was given a pre-season #2 ranking (behind defending National Champions University Of Southern California ) by '' Sports Illustrated '' magazine, and was also ranked second in the AP and '' USA Today '' coaches pre-season polls. They maintained those rankings throughout the entire 2005 - 2006 season. On October 24 , Texas passed USC in the Bowl Championship Series rankings due to a strong showing in the computer rankings, which favored the Longhorns because of the overall strength of their opponents as well as the previous week's win over previously unbeaten Texas Tech. The first place ranking was the first ever for UT in the BCS era, and the first top ranking in any major football poll since October 8th , 1984 , when they were atop both the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The 0.0007 percent margin separating Texas from USC was the slimmest margin between the top two teams since the inception of BCS rankings. The stay at the top was short-lived. With the October 31st BCS rankings, Texas remained first in the computer rankings, with Virginia Tech actually pulling even with USC for number 2 in the computer rankings. However, USC remained atop both human polls and was able to reclaim the top overall ranking. Texas and USC ended up winning out their seasons and faced each other in the National Championship, which Texas won 41-38. =2005-2006 Texas Longhorns football schedule
† First national championship since 1970 (BCS, AP). Basketball during a UT Basketball game.]] In recent years, the men's Basketball team has gained prominence. In 2003, the basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four round, and in 2004 advanced to the Sweet Sixteen round. In 2005, they tied for the Big 12 Conference regular season championship, but lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 Conference tournament championship game, 80-68. In the 2006 NCAA Tournament they would advance to the Elite Eight , losing to Louisiana State University in overtime. Texas entered the 2006 Championship Tournament as a second seed. 2006 Also marks the 100th anniversary of basketball at UT, and special logos have been placed on the uniforms to commemorate this anniversary. The women's basketball team has long been a national power, especially during the late 1980s (winning a National Title in 1986) and through the 1990s. Both teams play home games in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center . This year (2005-2006) they went into the season ranked #2 in the nation until they were beat by the #1 Duke Blue Devils in East Rutherford, New Jersey and the Tennessee Lady Vols . Baseball The University's , 1984 , 1985 , 1989 and 2004 . Former Longhorns who went on to success in the pros include Roger Clemens , Calvin Schiraldi, Burt Hooton , Keith Moreland, Spike Owen , Greg Swindell and Huston Street . In January of 2006, Texas is listed at number 1 in both major pre-season polls. The team plays home games on Disch-Falk Field . Golf Texas has a strong golf tradition, winning National Titles in 1971 and 1972 and finishing runner-up four other times. Several former Longhorn players have gone on to success on the PGA Tour including: Tom Kite , Ben Crenshaw , Phil Blackmar, Mark Brooks, Bob Estes, and Justin Leonard. Legendary golf instructor Harvey Penick was a long-time Texas coach. Gymnastics The University of Texas does not field a varsity gymnastics squad. However, the University is home to two club gymnastics teams. The women's Gymnastics team won a national title on April 16 , 2005 at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs competition, and the men's team finished second, missing out on the national title by seven-tenths of a point to Penn State . Volleyball Texas has a strong women's volleyball tradition, with its teams finishing in the top 25 in the nation 19 out of the last 23 years, as well as two #2 finishes. Texas won the national championship in 1981 and 1988 and was runner-up to Nebraska in 1995 . It also sent Demetria Sance to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia . The team plays home games in Gregory Gymnasium . Two longstanding traditions exist in which the fans interact with the team and each other; when Texas makes a stuff block, the players yell "Whose House?" and the fans respond with "Horns' House!" In addition, whenever a point is made by Texas, the announcer will say "Point Texas!" and the fans respond with "Point Texas!"
Swimming and diving In addition, Texas has won nine National Titles in men's swimming and diving (1981, 1988-1991, 1996, 2000-2002) and nine in Women's Swimming and Diving (1981-82, 1984-88, 1990-91). Texas women's cross country won a National Title in 1986. Women's tennis claimed the title in 1993 and 1995. Women's track and field achieved national indoor titles in 1986, 1988, 1990, 1998-99, and outdoor titles in 1982, 1986, 1998-99, 2005. Volleyball achieved titles in 1981 and 1988. Several Longhorn athletes have had success at the Olympics over the years. The table at right shows Longhorn medals won in the Summer Olympics. INTRAMURAL SPORTS UT offers a large number of intramural sports opportunities. Some of these teams compete with other university clubs. The women's Volleyball club won National Championship honors at the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Collegiate Volleyball Sport Club Championships April 14 - April 16 , 2005 in Kansas City, Missouri . RIVALRIES The University's biggest rival is Texas A&M University , although UT considers the Oklahoma Sooners to also be important rivals in football, especially in recent years due to the prominence of both programs. Texas has other important rivalries as well. Texas A&M The Texas/Texas A&M rivalry has given rise to several stereotypes on both sides: Aggies are generally portrayed as ignorant and dumb farmers, while Longhorns are portrayed as highbrow and arrogant city-slickers. The annual football game with Texas A&M takes place the day after Thanksgiving each year. In an attempt to generate more attention for the rivalry in sports other than football, in 2004 the two schools started the Lone Star Showdown , a trial two-year program. Essentially, each time the two schools meet in a sport, the winner of the matchup gets a point. At the end of the year, the school with the most points wins the series and will receive a trophy. Aspects of the rivalry include:
University of Oklahoma There is also a long-standing rivalry with the University Of Oklahoma . In recent years, this rivalry has taken on added significance, since both football programs have been highly ranked and compete in the same division of the Big 12 conference. The football game between University of Texas and Oklahoma is known as the " Red River Shootout " (the official name of the event was changed to "Red River Rivalry", most likely due to Political Correctness ) and is held annually in Dallas, Texas at the Cotton Bowl . Aspects of the rivalry include:
Others Perhaps due to the Longhorns' enduring athletic success, many other schools consider UT among their biggest rivals. This list includes most other colleges in Texas, but especially Baylor (located just up Interstate 35 from UT), Texas Tech , and Houston . Texas is also the biggest rival of the University Of Arkansas which perhaps may be attributed to their long tenure as the two eponymous state schools of the former Southwest Conference , or to the 1969 game between the two, which decided the national championship in favor of the Longhorns. So far the Longhorns farthest rival is the University Of Southern California Trojans. FACILITIES Major sporting facilities and their main use include:
In addition, the University of Texas has numerous practice, training, and intramural facilities. TRADITIONS Texas is a tradition-rich school, and many of those traditions are associated with athletics events, especially football. Some UT traditions include:
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