The Horns’ Hall of Fame is ready.
Texas will unveil its first-ever all-sports Hall of Fame — aptly named The Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame — the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 30.
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The free event is open for all Longhorn fans, with the celebration of the $17.1 million project within the Red McCombs Red Zone of DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium kicking off at 1 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to RSVP for the grand opening via this link. https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2697ebbabb44471fbaac31c6cb2425d9
Eight months in the making, the facility measure a Texas-sized 24,713 square feet with a massive Bevo standing 8-foot tall, and weighing 1,200 pounds, greeting fans at the entrance.
The hall will tell the tale of Texas Athletics through history starting with its first football team in 1893.
“So much of our history was scattered throughout campus and in our various sports venues. We now have all of our traditions, trophies, awards and accomplishments housed in one place. It’s truly awesome,” UT vice president and athletics director Chris Del Conte said. “It’s an amazing facility where we are celebrating The University of Texas and what it means to be a Longhorn. We’ve put a ton of energy and resources into this and can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
All of UT’s 55 National Championship teams are honored along with the 599 conference team titles, hundreds of individual national champions, 171 Olympians at 21 Olympiads who earned 145 Olympic medals and first-team sports All-Americans, academic All-Americans and other scholastic honorees, as well as the traditions and tales that encompass the history of Longhorns Athletics. All totaled, the facility is decorated with 392 trophies representing generations of successful UT teams, student-athletes and coaches, according to UT.
“We have an old adage at Texas, ‘The pride and winning tradition of the Texas Longhorns will not be entrusted to the weak nor the timid,’” Del Conte said. “That message really takes shape when you walk through the Hall of Fame and get a chance to see the greatness and success stories on display of so many who proudly wore the burnt orange and white.”
Texas proudly announced that a nearly 1,400-square-foot National Championship room features a breathtaking trophy wall and a huge 16-by-9-foot monitor playing videos celebrating all of Texas’ thrilling team title victories. It also includes a replica of the UT Tower that illuminates much like the iconic building does to recognize Longhorn victories.
More from Texas’ announcement of the upcoming opening of the Longhorn wonderland:
Texas’ National Awards winners and their trophies will be on display in a 2,000-square foot room recognizing their achievements as well as imagery reliving every Longhorn individual national championship triumph. Rooms are also dedicated to pay tribute to UT’s all-time greatest coaches, its numerous Olympians and the 529 members of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, including the 14 new members from the class of 2019 who will be enshrined on Friday night (Aug. 30). Powerful displays sharing the stories of academic accomplishments, UT trailblazers and Lifetime Longhorns success are spread throughout the building’s walls as well.
The Hall of Fame is now also home to Texas Athletics’ current statues of iconic coaches Darrell Royal and Jody Conradt, Heisman Trophy winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, as well as prominent supporters Joe Jamail, Red McCombs and Tex Moncrief.
“You can see the Heisman Trophy winners, look at all of our All-Americans and Hall of Honor members, see videos recognizing all of our 55 National Championship teams and take a picture with a beautiful Longhorn statue. It’s a wonderful celebration of our school,” Del Conte said. “I want to give a special thanks to Chris Plonsky and the entire team that headed this up for their hard work and dedication to this project. They all worked tirelessly and meticulously along with our friends at Advent and the entire construction crew to make this dream a reality. I know everyone will be blown away when they see it.”
A visual timeline of all 15 Bevos, dating back to the first Longhorn steer mascot in 1917, is a prominent fixture, and along its path is a wall full of great moments in Texas Athletics history. Another engaging element will be the social media command center located right in the middle of the Hall of Fame. Highlighted by a giant LED panel monitor and manned by UT social media experts, it will be the place to be to catch up on all the discussions and latest news on the Longhorns.
The grand opening will give fans a look at phase one of the The Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame. There is plenty of great things to see in the current physical layout but there will be digital expansion to come, new displays and updated presentations. So, while your first visit is sure to impress, the Hall of Fame will continue be a go-to location for alumni, fans, supporters and college athletics enthusiasts for years to come.
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