The University of Texas has one of the most historic football programs in the United States.
However, many of the school’s richest donors are angry at the controversy surrounding the alma mater song, “The Eyes of Texas,” which is of Confederate origin. The Texas Tribune obtained public records published Monday, and many of the alumni expressed anger over the situation. Some of the donors have threatened to no longer contribute their money to the university if the situation is not right.
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Emails were sent to Jay Hartzell, president of the University of Texas, and they demanded that the school resist the “cancel culture” otherwise they would not receive any more donations from some of their richest alumni.
“My wife and I have made a donation of more than $ 1 million to athletics. It can be very easily revoked if things do not change drastically here,” one donor wrote in October. UT-Austin did not disclose its name because public reporting laws protect certain donor identities. “Did everyone become unaware of who supports athletics ??”
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Many alumni were furious when a photo, Texas fullback Sam Ehlinger, was the only player to be proud of the school’s long tradition, when players and coaches stood for the song and the “hook ’em horns” – hand signal before and after matches. The team just lost in the four-over overtime to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout in 2020. Other photos, however, reveal that other players were on the field with Ehlinger for the song.
“It’s shameful to see the lack of unity and our fiercest rival Sam Ehlinger stands almost alone,” wrote another donor. “It is symbolic of the disorder of this football program that you have inherited. The critical racial theory rubbish embraced by the football program and the University is giving great glory to our glorious institution and the country. It must stop.”
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Other alumni and donors also threatened to cancel their season tickets and boycott matches if the song was not part of the university’s tradition, which led to a great deal of concern at the university’s fundraisers.
“[Alumni] is pulling planned gifts, canceling donations, walking away from causes and programs that have been their passion for years, even decades, and turning away in disgust. Last night, one sent me a message at 1am to find a way to revoke a donation of 7 figures, ‘Longhorn Alumni Band Charity Fund President Kent Kostka told a group administrators, including Hartzell. ‘ is not hyperbole or exaggeration. Real damage is done every day by the constant silence. ‘
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Back in January when new head coach Steve Sarkisian was welcomed during his introductory press conference, he said the song would remain a part of the culture with him in charge.
“I know so much, ‘The Eyes of Texas’ is our school song,” Sarkisian said at the time. “We’re going to sing that song. We’re going to sing it proudly.”