Steve Sarkisian started off his weekly press conference on Monday by apologizing to Longhorn Nation for failing to stay on the field at Boone Pickens Stadium following Texas’ 41-34 loss to sing UT’s school song – The Eyes of Texas.
“I owe an apology to Longhorn Nation,” Sarkisian said. “I made a mistake at the end of the game in not singing the Eyes of Texas when the game was done. It was not anything intentional.
“It was not anything that had to do with our players. I think our players just followed me up the ramp into the locker room. Obviously upset by the way the game ended and literally walked off the field. So, I apologize to everybody for that. That will never happen again. But again, it was not intentional. It was not premeditated by any means. That was just a mistake on my part. It had nothing to do with the players. They just followed my lead on that. That won’t happen again.”
The football team remaining on the field for UT’s traditional post-game playing of the Eyes of Texas hadn’t been an issue since the 2020 Red River Showdown, following a 53-45 Oklahoma victory in four overtimes under then-coach Tom Herman.
In the wake of social justice protests in 2020, the Eyes had come under fire for its origins by a number of UT student groups, including African-American student-athletes on campus, who wanted the song changed or replaced.
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and a handful of other Longhorn players remained on the field for the Eyes following the 2020 loss to OU, but most of the team had gone up the tunnel into the locker room by the time UT’s school song was played.
That post-game scene caused Herman to come under fire from a number of influential UT alums who felt like Herman wasn’t supporting the school’s 100-year song by allowing players to choose whether they wanted to stay on the field – or not – for the post-game playing of the Eyes.
Sources have told Horns247 that Herman’s handling of the Eyes was one of many factors considered when UT officials decided to dismiss Herman after four seasons with a 32-18 record following the 2020 season.
When Sarkisian was hired in January 2021 and was asked about The Eyes of Texas, he said, “I know this much: The Eyes of Texas is our school song. We’re going to sing that song. We’re going to sing that proudly.”
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