Don't say UT Austin

In sports lingo it's "Texas," not "UT Austin," or "the University of Texas at Austin."

"Texas" is the university's name all over the world. We show an inferiority complex by saying UT Austin, as if it's just like UT El Paso or UT San Antonio. We do it because we think it ticks off the Texas people.

Texas is THE school in the system. Over the years, its regents have set up branch schools, pardon the term "branch," so Texans can get a Texas education closer to home.

UT El Paso, or "UTEP" as it's better known these days around the country, has by far a better sports program than any of the other "branches." But it's still a branch of the main university, which is "Texas." The University of Texas Board of Regents rule over UTEP.

By the way, here are the other "branches:"

Arlington, Brownsville, Dallas, Pan American, Permian Basin, San Antonio and Tyler.

On Sept. 6, the UTEP Miners will host the Texas Longhorns in football.

And, no, on Sept. 6 in the Sun Bowl, Texas won't be plagiarizing the music to what El Pasoans know as UTEP's fight song. Many years ago UTEP copied the music from Texas, because UTEP is a "branch" university of the Texas Longhorns.

Let's show some class and call it "Texas."

Comments

[just a thought]

Yeah, yeah Joe it's a little sophomoric but we do it because it does tick off the "Texas" people.

"its UTEP vs Texas not UT-Austin!! Get it right!!"

Posted by: sporstfan | July 28, 2008 at 05:28 PM

"lol, why does everyone keep callin UT different names, its only UT, not UT-Austin....not UofA."

Hook 'Em Horns!

Posted by: jdzzzle | August 16, 2007 at 02:48 AM

Yes, we are a branch and did in fact steal their fight song and band uniform design but big brother is going to have to take a bit of ribbing every now and then.

[boombastic]

UTEP is not a BRANCH. A branch campus would operate under the auspices of the main branch; UTEP is not run by the president of the University of Texas at Austin. It's run by the president of the University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP is a university in the system. A totally autonomous (within reason of the board of regents) unit, seperate and (theoretically, at least, not necessarily in practice) equal to the campus in Austin.

[Gustavo]

Actually, UTEP is NOT a branch of the University of Texas. UTEP is its own school ... it's own institution.

For example, NMSU has a branch in Ruidoso. The school there is called NMSU- Ruidoso Branch. But UTEP doesn't have an actual connection to UT, except that they're both part of the UT System.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Ok Texas Longhorns University.

[Utep fan]

And UTEP doesnt even have the same fight song as UT anymore. They have their own based on that Mary Robbins song El Paso. Who wrote this stupid article.

[Richard]

It is officially the University of Texas at Austin, a school who graduates a mere 40% of their student athletes and who steals most of the money meant to educate Texans. Why would I acquiese to those arrogant and obnoxious Austinites?

[anonymous]

wow!! make sure your information is correct before you post. UTEP gets its funding from UT. UT Determines more than UTEP is willing to admit. Either Texas or UT Austin is a lot better than some of the other names I have heard UTEP fans call other schools and their fans. If UTEP ever wants respect they need to show respect or they will never receive it.

[TXINVADESNM]

Joe...Why don't you grab a "TEXAS" Longhorn and stick it up you A$$!

[Miner Maniac]

Same fight song??? UTEP seldom plays the UT fight song anymore!! Like CLEOFITZWITZ, says, the "new" (over-10-years-old) fight song is based on Marty Robbins' El Paso melody. Who needs the education here? This article is condescending and--with comments like this one--irrelevant.

[anonymous]

Joe is a Butt-Muench

[Miner Maniac]

Man, I just can't get over how wrong your facts are, Joe. Please write a blog saying how you regularly write misinformation just to get people passionate about Miner athletics...I can accept THAT.

[Utep fan]

I think its embarassing that a Utep sportswriter doesn't even know what Utep's current fight song is

[Toasted Whitebred]

Ah, you've all fallen into the now infamous Muench Trap. A tongue in cheeck version of the regular Joe blow...I mean blog. It's meant to raise the dandruff of Miner fans.

But since we're on the subject...Wikipedia says this,

"One of the Aggie songs then was Farmers Fight, which consisted of the words "Farmers Fight" sung to Taps, a song played at many military funerals. Impressed by the song, Hunnicutt figured he write "Texas Fight" also sung to Taps, but making the song more march-like."

So while the UTEP fight song is plagiarized, at least its an original plagiarization...I think.

[Jon]

When it comes to the sporting landscape UT is known as Texas, plain and simple. You can also get away with calling it UT. If you call it by any other name people won't know who your talking about.

Even though Joe is right about the fight song, and the name of UT in the sporting landscape, he is way off by referring to UTEP as a "branch" of UT.

UTEP is its own University and was independent of UT before 1967 when it was known as Texas Western. It joined the University of Texas SYSTEMS, not the University of Texas at Austin. UT is just the flagship school of of the system seeing that it was the original school in the UT system.

UTEP is part of the same state public school systems as UT, not an extension of them. It shares the same basic classes and recieves funding from Texas tax payers. It also makes it extremely easy to transfer between UT-system schools seeing that they all share the same degree planms and courses. A true branch school is the Texas Tech Medical Center being built here in El Paso.

Joe is just preying on El Pasoans inferiority complex to make is arguement but to prove my point I will bring in another states University system; University of California. Does anyone want say that UCLA is a branch school of the UC Berkeley? (better known as Cal in the sporting world) Same Logic applies to UTEP and UT. They are both public state schools but that doesn't make one a branch of the other.

[yoMama]

UT is a system, as in the university of Texas Education System, UT is short for the system. UT Austin and UTEP are schools within the system. UT Austin is the correct way to refer to the school UTEP will be playing Sept 6th. Even Joe knows that, and that's what the scoreboard will say. Pobre Joe.

[Mac from El Paso now in Austin]

Now this is one of the stupidest pieces you've written Joe....

You need to leave El Paso, it would be better for your health. Your angst toward UTEP is unhealthy...

I think UTEP should continue to refer to Texas as UT-Austin...I think it is funny...

Joe...You really shouldn't take this stuff too serious, life is just too short.

You would be better of writing about NMSU as it would be healthier for you.

If you are doing it to get a rise out of people in El Paso and UTEP alums, I think the El Paso Times should re-title your blog to "a sarcastic view of UTEP sports"...I consider it false advertising if it is not.

[Mac from El Paso now in Austin]

Now this is one of the stupidest pieces you've written Joe....

You need to leave El Paso, it would be better for your health. Your angst toward UTEP is unhealthy...

I think UTEP should continue to refer to Texas as UT-Austin...I think it is funny...

Joe...You really shouldn't take this stuff too serious, life is just too short.

You would be better of writing about NMSU as it would be healthier for you.

If you are doing it to get a rise out of people in El Paso and UTEP alums, I think the El Paso Times should re-title your blog to "a sarcastic view of UTEP sports"...I consider it false advertising if it is not.

[anonymous]

Thank you very much for setting this straight. I am a senior at Texas, and a proud El Pasoan, and it really does bother me that we're called the UT Austin Longhorns. Our jerseys say TEXAS, the slogan is "We're Texas". I wish the people of El Paso and UTEP fans would show the respect that this program and institution rightfully deserve. HOOK'EM

"We're TEXAS. What starts here changes the world."

[dude]

Hey guy, they didn't teach you that the name of your school is UT Austin? How dumb. Funny how Joe tells us not to say it, by saying it himself!! Nice one.

[TH]

call it whatever you want Texas/UT- Austin is going down.

[Pick Ax]

Jon has a point. Go ask UCLA alums and fans...

We are ranked #94 in the SI pre-season ranking and UT-Austin is #13 I believe. But I believe those rankings are based on histories of each program. It's ok with me. UTEP beats UT-Austin.

Out
Pick

[Jon]

The way you refer to this school depends on what context your putting it in. If you are referring to sports, its Texas. If you are referring to education its the University of Texas, UT or University of Texas at Austin.

It really falls under personal preference. However, it should be important to note that if you are talking about UT outside of a sporting context and referring to them as Texas, people may not be sure which university you are referring to especially if they are not major sports fans.

Anyone who has seen the "We're Texas" aid knows that they all end with the name of the University written in white on a burnt orange back ground and guess what, it does just say Texas, it says The University of Texas of at Austin. That is the offical name of the university. Now some of you may be sensative and not like hearing it but thats the name of the school.

I guess what I'm tryng to say is that all three names are correct and even UT-Austin is widely accepted but nobody should be faulted for using any them. The important thing is to use these names in their correct context.

P.S. I have never referred to Texas as...
UT-Austin
UTA (which is completely incorrect)
UofA. (which is actually the abbv. for The University of Arizona)

[Who's your Mumme]

Typical Longhorn fans:

Make a point here and another point over there and, a lot of bull in between!

[Ferndog]

Let's just start calling it UTA (yoo-TAH).

[stan bass]

Nuts to Texas. I went to the U. of NM @ El Paso. I come from Texian-occupied Southern-by-God New Mexico!