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Coach at BYU chastises students for donning “Horns Down” t-shirts during their match against Texas.
In college sports, uttering “Horns Down” in reference to Texas can easily evoke strong reactions. Many programs make efforts to be sensitive to this sentiment.
During a Big 12 clash between BYU and Texas on Saturday, nine BYU students took the initiative to wear T-shirts spelling out “HORNS DOWN” in the front row of the ROC (Roar of Cougars) student section. Positioned closest to the Texas bench, their shirts were noticeable.
However, by the first media timeout, the shirts were no longer visible, as BYU had reportedly requested their removal.
With or without the provocative shirts, the 21st-ranked Cougars secured a victory against the Longhorns with a final score of 84-72, improving their record to 15-5.
Following the game, BYU head coach Mark Pope addressed the incident involving the shirts when speaking with reporters, as reported by KSL Sports’ Mitch Harper. Pope stated that the shirts had been removed before the game, emphasizing that such behavior is not representative of the team’s values. He characterized it as a miscalculation by a few enthusiastic fans, noting that it goes against the principles upheld by the ROC, players, and the student body.
The “Horns Down” gesture has reemerged as a topic of discussion in college sports, sparked by Texas head coach Rodney Terry expressing disapproval toward UCF players making the hand gesture during a postgame handshake line. Terry later apologized for his comments, acknowledging that he might have gone too far in criticizing UCF and its players.
Given the recent incident, it remains to be seen if Texas’ next road opponent, TCU on February 3, will take steps to avoid provoking Texas, similar to BYU’s response.
