TEXAS ATHLETICS 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 Annual Report 1 2 Texas Athletics Photo courtesy of Pinkle Toes Photography GREETINGS LONGHORN NATION, Our annual report is traditionally reserved for celebrating, honoring and were shut down along with campus activities across the country. Our lives reflecting on another wonderful year of events and accomplishments, were thrust into remote working and a virtual reality as student-athletes academics and athletics accolades, as well as more championships and headed home and staffers turned their houses into off-site offices. The victories on and off the field of competition. We enjoyed those for sure, but COVID-19 pandemic brought us to our knees and impacted collegiate also had just as many achievements that surrounded the human spirit, our sports like nothing before. Our country and world were in crisis mode and will and efforts in overcoming the impact of a devastating health crisis, and suddenly we found ourselves managing an unprecedented situation. the resolve as a unified Texas in forging ahead. However, with that patented Longhorn spirit and your immense support, The 2019-20 seasons started with lots of notable performances, steady we adapted and found ways to persevere as one in a very difficult situation. progress, entertaining action and exciting outcomes through the fall of 2019 Washing hands were critical, antibacterial wipes and sprays essential, and into the first couple months of 2020. There was the lively expansion masks became a must, COVID testing paramount, and looking out for the of BEVO Blvd. and Longhorn City Limits to Smokey’s Midway at Longhorn best interest of yourself and those around you was a crucial step to any Football games, and more fan amenities than ever were revving up around form of normalcy and eventually prosperity. In these pages we pay tribute all of our events. College GameDay brought its traveling road show to to the many ways we managed the health crisis, the countless people Austin and the eyes of the nation were squarely upon our great campus who helped us weather the storm, and most importantly, how our student- before an epic non-conference clash with LSU. Construction projects were athletes embraced every obstacle and continued to help us steadily move launching across our athletics footprint as well, with shovels, cranes and forward toward returning to training and eventually competition. And jackhammers going to work on the South End Zone project at Darrell K when we did, you could see the renewed enthusiasm and vigor among Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the state-of-the-art multipurpose Moody our student-athletes. They missed wearing the Burnt Orange and White Center, the Softball player development center, the long-awaited Eddie and putting that world-renowned pride and winning tradition of the Texas Reese Outdoor Pool, in addition to upgrades in the fieldhouse for Soccer Longhorns on full display for all of you to enjoy. and Track & Field/Cross Country at Mike A. Myers Stadium. The pandemic affected us all in so many ways, and although we put many There were wins on the court, field, track and pool, and the Tower was financial mitigation procedures into place to save a significant amount bathed in its traditional Burnt Orange in celebration on many occasions. of money beginning in the spring, the health crisis still brought about Volleyball pulled in a third-straight Big 12 Championship as Gregory Gym immense financial strain to our department. With your loyal dedication and was again rockin’ for each and every match. A Longhorn stampede took help, we managed to navigate our way through the stretch run of the fiscal over San Antonio on New Year’s Eve as our Top 25-ranked Football year. For the final five months of 2019-20, we studied, reviewed and looked squad capped the year with a thrilling 38-10 Valero Alamo Bowl victory closely at financial and personnel situations, made numerous cost-cutting over No. 11 Utah. Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving swept the Big measures and were planning ways to put ourselves in position for success 12 Championships once again, while Women’s Track & Field claimed their moving forward. After a great deal of discussion, thought and holding off as third-straight Big 12 Indoor title. Those efforts extended our conference long as we could, with the closing of our fiscal year, we unfortunately had to record of all-time Big 12 crowns to 181, and swelled our eye-popping overall make some very difficult decisions when it came to dedicated staff. total of league titles to 603 in our long, proud and illustrious history of Texas That involved many painful and heartbreaking conversations, but the Athletics. We had victories aplenty in the first seven months of the year, and decisions that were made were necessary to ensure our financial stability the way the spring seasons began, it looked to be an extremely promising going forward. They were made in large part because, financially, our goal final few months for our Longhorns! is and always will be to provide first-class opportunities, resources and Then, on Thursday March 12, the sports world came to a screeching halt support for our student-athletes as they develop and train for excellence as health and safety concerns relating to the spread of COVID-19 put in their sports, the classroom and life. Our LEVERAGE program that everything on hold. Our Men’s Basketball team was pulled off the court launched in late summer is one of our many initiatives that exemplifies during warmups at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, and our Women’s how our mission is built around the holistic approach to supporting our team prepared to return from its conference tourney in Oklahoma City. NCAA student-athletes. Basketball, Indoor Track & Field and Swimming & Diving Championships, set to begin soon after, were also cancelled and eventually all spring sports 2019-20 Annual Report 3 In the midst of the pandemic, our country faced another major crossroads as just that. We did have our triumphs before COVID-19 hit, and once it came, we we shared in the pain and frustration that our student-athletes and the Black found ways to rally as one with things like our My Texas Tailgate daylong on- community faced with social justice challenges and movement on our campus, line extravaganza, virtual graduation, and endless hours of Zoom meetings to in our state and across the nation. We talked, and most importantly, we listened, stay engaged, while remaining connected and fiercely committed to making as we worked closely with President Hartzell and our campus leadership on progress during an extraordinary challenge. a number of initiatives announced in July, as campus-wide plans were made I share with you our Annual Report for 2019-20, and as you peruse the pages to promote diversity, inclusion and equality, fully support Black students and of a very unique version of our traditional publication, we’re still in the midst of make UT a more welcoming place for all students. a year that is like none other. Through it all, you’ve stuck with us and continued Among those plans, Texas Athletics announced a number of things that we to be the wind beneath our wings. To sustain our high-level of growth and would be putting in place. At the request of the family of Joe Jamail, the field productivity and remain solvent, we need you more than ever in the coming at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was renamed in honor of two days, months and year, as we look to stay the course and make sure Texas prominent and highly-respected Black student-athletes in Heisman Trophy Athletics can remain in its rightful place among the premier collegiate programs winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams. A statue for Julius Whittier, our first in the country! We can do this, together, and I thank you all for being by our side Black Football Letterwinner was commissioned, and we made a multi-million in these most trying of times. Longhorn Nation, we are so lucky to have you! dollar commitment from Athletics revenue to worthy University programs Stay safe, be healthy and Hook ’Em Horns, that work to recruit, attract, retain and support Black students. Additionally, there was our expansion and enhancement of the 4EVER TEXAS program that was created to help student-athletes prepare for life after athletics, make connections, build bonds and be mentored by and collaborate with the vast alumni and supporter network. It certainly was a year filled with unparalleled trials and tribulations. Our primary Chris Del Conte objective remained to not just survive, but to thrive, and with the unmatched Vice President & Director of Athletics support of each and every one of you, we remained keenly focused on doing @_delconte MISSION The mission of Texas Athletics is to define what it means to be the world’s best athletics program, instilling the passion, knowledge and character for all student-athletes to compete to win, to succeed academically, to achieve their dreams in life and to positively contribute to society. PURPOSE To prepare students to succeed with integrity — in academics, in athletics and in life. VALUES DIVERSITY - Many distinct voices, one University. INTEGRITY - Play by the rules and do what is right. CREATIVITY - Foster innovation. Welcome new ideas. TEAMWORK - We are stronger together. LOYALTY - Welcome to the Longhorns family: a bond that lasts a lifetime. EXCELLENCE - We play to win, and we are in relentless pursuit of the highest level of intellectual, personal and athletic achievement. ACCOUNTABILITY - To yourself, to your team, to your University and to society.