NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The College of Texas opted towards an invite to make the case for why it, and never the College of Tennessee, ought to be the official “UT” of the Southeastern Convention now that realignment has compelled a call.
This isn’t stunning. There is no such thing as a case. College of Tennessee alums have been amongst 1000’s of Tennesseans who fought to ship and preserve statehood for Texas, many years earlier than the College of Texas existed. The precise “Volunteers” made the Longhorns attainable. There’s one UT, and it’s not the one which simply joined the league that started in 1932 with the true UT and 12 different constitution members.
Nonetheless, it’s well mannered to ask earlier than making this official, which the SEC has already form of achieved, even when the SEC gained’t admit it. So, having been ghosted by College of Texas communications, I went to 2 alums of great stature final week on the Tennessee Titans’ follow discipline.
Titans defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Keondre Coburn have been school teammates as properly — on the college that shall henceforth be generally known as UTex — and naturally, they agreed that it ought to nonetheless be “UT.”
We talked by way of the historical past, which included well-known Tennessean Davy Crockett dying on the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, and 30,000 volunteers from Tennessee serving to win the Mexican-American Struggle after Texas was admitted because the twenty eighth state in 1845. That’s greater than 10 instances as many volunteers as President James Okay. Polk requested from his dwelling state.
“It’s true,” Coburn stated. “However all I do know is how I used to be raised (in Tyler, Texas), and UT was the College of Texas. I don’t care about earlier than, I simply care about now. And the College of Texas is ‘UT.’”
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Sweat stated he wears his T-shirt with the massive, burnt orange “UT” on it each probability he will get round Nashville. That’s nice. To be clear, nobody is asking these guys to cease calling their college no matter they need, and never simply because they mix to weigh 698 kilos.
Texas alums, followers and staff aren’t going to cease calling themselves “UT.” The identical is true on the College of Toledo and all different relevant establishments. College of Tulsa, College of Toronto, how in regards to the College of Tasmania in Tasmania, Australia? Positive, even when your rugby crew stinks.
However that doesn’t imply everybody else has to play ball. Most of the people should make a selection now that Tennessee and Texas are going to be sharing fields and courts and comically lengthy listings of convention standings that remind us how geographically poor and usually dumb school athletics has turn out to be. The selection is obvious.
Tennessee is UT. Texas is UTex. That’s nonetheless two syllables and it’s a comparatively minor title change. It’s nothing like Fb to Meta or Ron Artest to Metta World Peace or Prince to that cool-looking image.
SEC Snubs Unproven Rookie Member By Bestowing Official ‘UT’ Honors On Tennessee Over Texas — https://t.co/BMRPYZ648Hhttps://t.co/BMRPYZ648H
— BroBible (@BroBible) July 19, 2024
The Texas of us gained’t prefer it once they hear it from others — this looks as if it might actually catch on at some Texas A&M yell practices, no? — however that is the way it should be. The most effective case I can give you for UTex is its No. 9 spot within the newest U.S. Information and World Report rankings of public universities, in contrast with No. 51 for UT. However see, we’re already utilizing these names in a sentence and there’s no confusion.
Additionally, lofty rankings call to mind UTex soccer’s over-promising/under-delivering downside since its final nationwide title in 2006. After all, UT soccer has been worse and susceptible to episodes of acute embarrassment for the reason that Vols’ final championship in 1999. UTex has a slight edge in total wins, 897 to 851; UT all-time coach Robert Neyland has the sting over UTex all-time coach Darrell Royal.
Each have custom and lore. Each are in fine condition as they turn out to be convention rivals, the Longhorns coming off a School Soccer Playoff look underneath Steve Sarkisian and the Vols underneath Josh Heupel becoming a member of the Longhorns as contenders for the 12-team Playoff in 2024 and past. That’s why this must be settled.
GO DEEPER
Rating CFB groups higher off (Texas), worse off (USC), or similar (Nebraska) in new period
Please consider the writers. Orange and burnt orange don’t meet within the 2024 or 2025 common season, however an SEC championship conflict after subsequent season is possible. Right here’s a pattern paragraph from that hypothetical sport:
UTex outlasted UT, 35-31, with UTex quarterback Arch Manning outdueling UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava — presumably giving the UTex star the ultimate nod over the UT star within the Heisman race. Iamaleava, projected to be the No. 1 choose within the upcoming NFL Draft, nonetheless threw for 445 yards for UT. However Manning, the projected No. 2 choose, and the UTex offense drove 75 yards for the successful rating on the gassed UT protection. UTex made yet one more play than UT might make.
Now think about all the additional keystrokes required and area wasted if “Tennessee” and “Texas” must be typed out each time. And pray for higher sportswriting if that sport ever occurs.
Let’s make the decision now and agree it’s a straightforward one. If the aforementioned institutional historical past isn’t convincing sufficient, take into account this from UT archivist Alesha Shumar: The College of Tennessee, based in 1794 as Blount School, was one of many first faculties of upper studying on this nation to welcome ladies as college students, in 1804.
“It blew me away after I first began to learn the way progressive this college has all the time been,” stated Shumar, citing a nondenominational coverage from the beginning and the early welcoming of worldwide college students.
UTex, in the meantime, was based in 1883, almost half a century after 1000’s of Tennesseans helped make such a factor attainable.
The SEC seems to be on board. In its July 19 launch of preseason all-conference soccer groups, Vols gamers have been accompanied by a “UT” and Longhorns gamers by a “TEX.”
An SEC spokesman informed me I shouldn’t “learn something” into it, that there have been no “substantive discussions” in regards to the “UT” debate and that there can be “no official ruling forthcoming.”
That’s the convention converse on the matter. However the selection of letters speaks volumes, in all caps. The SEC might be sneaky like that. The College Previously Referred to as UT ought to know that in addition to anybody.
(Picture of Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays: Tim Warner / Getty Photographs)
