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| University of Texas at Austin football | |
|---|---|
| Name | Texas Longhorns football |
| University | University of Texas at Austin |
| First year | 1893 |
| Athletic director | Chris Del Conte |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Stadium | Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium |
| Capacity | 100,119 |
| Nickname | Longhorns |
| Fight song | "Texas Fight" |
| Mascot | Bevo |
University of Texas at Austin football is the intercollegiate varsity Texas Longhorns program representing the University of Texas at Austin in Division I FBS competition, competing in the Big 12 Conference and historically influential in college football history, producing multiple College Football Hall of Fame inductees and Heisman Trophy winners. The program has a long-standing presence at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, claims national championships recognized by bodies such as the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, and is a frequent participant in major postseason games including the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Cotton Bowl Classic.
The program began in 1893 with early contests against teams like Texas A&M University and Northwestern University affiliate squads, evolving through eras under coaches such as Darrell K Royal, Mack Brown, and Tom Herman, and achieving national prominence during Royal's tenure with titles in the 1960s and 1970s recognized by selectors including the National Collegiate Athletic Association records and the Associated Press. Texas navigated conference transitions from the Southwest Conference to the Big 12 Conference era, participated in landmark seasons including the 2005 championship run culminating in a victory in the Rose Bowl, and adapted to modern playoff-era dynamics with appearances in major bowls and contention for the College Football Playoff alongside programs like Alabama Crimson Tide football, Oklahoma Sooners football, and Ohio State Buckeyes football.
The Longhorn identity centers on symbols such as the live steer mascot Bevo, the burnt orange and white colors popularized in association with the University of Texas at Austin brand, and rituals including the entrance to the field with the "Hook 'em Horns" hand signal, the playing of the fight song "Texas Fight", and the lighting of the UT Tower after major victories; these traditions connect alumni networks at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium with booster organizations like the Texas Exes and media partners including ESPN, FOX Sports, and Big 12 Conference broadcasters. Game-day pageantry involves the Longhorn Band, the Spirit of Austin, and ceremonies honoring figures such as Mack Brown and Earl Campbell while engaging rival fanbases from programs like University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M University.
Home games are played at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, a venue renovated multiple times to expand capacity and amenities, situated on the University of Texas at Austin campus and complemented by practice complexes including the Darryl K. Royal–Texas Memorial Athletic Center and strength facilities comparable to those at University of Alabama and Clemson University. The athletic department has invested in recruiting infrastructure, sports medicine partnerships with regional hospitals in Austin, Texas, and technology integrations used by programs such as Oklahoma Sooners and LSU Tigers football for film study and player development.
The coaching lineage includes Hall of Famers and high-profile tacticians such as Darrell K Royal, Mack Brown, and recent head coaches who have produced NFL talent drafted by franchises including the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and New York Giants. The program has developed Heisman winners like Ricky Williams and Vince Young and All-Americans such as Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams (1998) and Colt McCoy, while alumni have excelled in the National Football League and been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame along with contemporaries from Notre Dame Fighting Irish football and USC Trojans football.
Historic rivalries include matchups with Oklahoma Sooners football for the Red River Rivalry and annual contests with Texas A&M Aggies football prior to the 2012 Texas A&M–Texas rivalry hiatus; conference affiliations have transitioned from the Southwest Conference to the Big 12 Conference, with scheduling and realignment discussions involving institutions like University of Oklahoma, University of Missouri, and University of Colorado Boulder. Rivalries generate marquee neutral-site games in venues such as the Cotton Bowl and attract national attention from media outlets including ESPN College GameDay and CBS Sports.
Season records vary across decades, with championship seasons recognized in years such as 1963, 1969, 1970, and 2005 by selectors like the Associated Press and Coaches Poll, and numerous conference titles in the Southwest Conference and Big 12 Conference earned under coaches like Darrell K Royal and Mack Brown. Postseason history includes appearances in major bowls including the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, and participation in the Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl against opponents such as Southern California, University of Michigan, and LSU Tigers football.
Players and coaches have received national honors including the Heisman Trophy (winners such as Ricky Williams and Vince Young), coaching awards honoring figures like Darrell K Royal and Mack Brown, All-American selections, and inductions into halls including the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame; academic and community awards have been issued by campus entities such as the University of Texas at Austin and external organizations like the National Football Foundation and Walter Camp Football Foundation.