Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
College Games
High school games are great, but college football really makes Texas tick. Graduates are
unfailingly loyal to their alma mater. But many rabid fans have never set one academic foot
on their favorite team's campus. State school rivalries go back decades. The bitterest con-
test in Texas college football? Hands down, it's the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns
and the Texas A&M Aggies. Next is the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the UT
Longhorns. As the reorganization of the conferences that determine what teams play each
other threatened to end some long-held series, lawmakers intervened. Yes, the classic
Thanksgiving morning UT versus A&M football game deserves state legislature's attention
- it's that important.
Each school has an elaborate set of traditions surrounding the game. UT fans 'bleed or-
ange,' in reference to the school colors. A&M has 'yell' instead of 'cheer' leaders, and
those boy do stir up some noise in the stands with call-and-response chants that everybody
knows. Various incarnations of the Texas Tech Red Raider's primary mascot, the Masked
Rider, have been galloping into the stadium (on real horseback) since 1954.
College football's not just fun and games either: it's an industry. UT head coach Mack
Brown's salary is a cool $5.19 million (plus incentives), making him the country's highest
paid coach. A&M's head coach Kevin Sumlin reportedly makes a measly $2 million. The
rationale for such salaries is that a successful team brings in huge revenue for the uni-
versity. Needless to say, a coach's performance is a hot topic all season.
In 2012 Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) became the fourth Heisman Trophy winner from
Texas and the first ever to win it as a freshman. His free-wheeling attitude and skill both
contributed to his nickname 'Johnny Football.' Manziel garnered a lot of press and fan at-
tention.
Austin is home to the Texas Roller Derby (
www.txrd.com
)
; the Lonestar Rollergirls team are tough athletes
who also know how to put on a fun and flashy show.
