Getting ready for game day: Traditions at Texas

This article originally appeared in the 25th Anniversary Issue of Horns Illustrated magazine. To order a copy of the 25th Anniversary Football Preview Issue, which includes interviews, insights and more, click here.

By Riley Zayas, Contributing Writer

Almost every Texas football fan is well-acquainted with the Longhorns’ long-standing traditions like Bevo, The Tower and Smokey the Cannon. But it’s the stories behind these famous traditions that add to the excitement of them and what they contribute to Texas’ football program.

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BEVO

Always the loyal steer watching from the sidelines, “Bevo” caused some chaos at the Sugar Bowl in January, when he viciously went after “Uga,” Georgia’s prized bulldog mascot. That isn’t the first time he’s caused some trouble at a rivalry game though.

Fourteen Bevos and 103 years ago, Texas unveiled its new mascot when the Longhorns faced Texas A&M in 1916 at Clark Field in Austin. Following the game, a Texas win, the cadets from A&M kidnapped the Longhorn and branded him with the score from their win in 1915, 13-0.

On Sunday morning, a couple of students were surprised to find the steer with the 13-0 on its back. Not wanting their rivals to come out on top, they cleverly turned the 13 into a “B,” the dash into an “E” fit in a “V” and the zero became an “O,” hence the name “Bevo”, which has stuck for the past century.

TOWER LIGHTING

Every time Texas wins a game, it’s customary for the 307-foot tower to be lit orange, signaling to campus that its football team has achieved victory.

One of the longest-standing traditions on the Forty Acres, the tower lighting was started by Carl Eckhardt Jr., one of the engineers who helped with the construction of the landmark back in 1937. He came up with the idea to light the tower after a win, and then came up with a system to signal the importance of the win.

A single orange light means a regular-season win, while lighting the entire tower orange, a designation that once indicated a win in the rivalry against Texas A&M, now means a conference championship victory. Finally, a No. 1 on all sides along with the tower in solid orange, means a national championship has come to the Forty Acres.

A simple idea to signal a victory back in 1937, has turned into an honorable accomplishment in 2019.

SMOKEY THE CANNON

It is not uncommon to hear a cannon blast when attending a Texas football. In fact, it’s a great symbol of pride for both Longhorn fans as well as the team.

The cannon was built in 1953 by the Texas Mechanical Engineering Lab as a response to Oklahoma’s reported gunshots at the Red River Showdown in Dallas. Two years later, the cannon was modified to fit two 10 gauge shotguns shells.

Finally, after over 30 years of service, Smokey II was retired and Smokey III replaced it. Made of oak and at a cost $25,000 when it was purchased in 1988, the Civil War replica weighs a whopping 1,200 pounds and can fire four blank 10 gauge shotgun shells at once, creating quite an ear-popping blast.

Like the tower lightings, those blasts are not without reason. Each shot signals one of two things: Either it means Texas has just scored, or the half has kicked off. Similar to Bevo, the cannon is put under the command of the Texas Cowboys, dedicated students who serve the University in many ways. No matter the occasion, Smokey is always at the Longhorn game, whether home or away, firing his blasts just like it has done for the past 65 years.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST TEXAS FLAG

Everything’s bigger in Texas and so are the flags. In fact, UT owns the world’s largest Texas flag which is 100 feet high by 150 feet wide.

Unveiled before every home game, the flag is under the responsibility of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. But the flag used now is actually the second huge Texas flag owned by the school.

The first was a gift from Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett in 1962 during the Cotton Bowl. Since that year, the flag has remained a pregame staple during Texas home games.

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