Latest news with #AggieWarHymn

Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SEC media days: Greg Sankey apologizes to Texas, Steve Sarkisian
Commissioner Greg Sankey began the third day of SEC Media Days with an apology directed toward Steve Sarkisian and Texas football. Why? Well, on Tuesday, Sarkisian walked for his media session on that main stage at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta with Texas A&M's Aggie War Hymn blaring from the speakers. "Mistakes happen," Sankey said on Wednesday morning. "No ill intent there. We'll make sure we do better at possessing our responsibilities." MORE: Texas football: SEC introduces Steve Sarkisian with Texas A&M's Aggie War Hymn by mistake The incident went viral, with media outlets all over the country posting about the mistake. The War Hymn, after all, includes several lyrics that throw shade at Texas, such as: "Good-bye to 'Texas University', so long to the orange and the white." "The eyes of Texas are upon you, that is the song they sing so well, so good-bye to Texas University, we're going to beat you all to..." The Aggies and Longhorns renewed their rivalry last season after a hiatus lasting 13 years. Texas topped Texas A&M 17-7 in College Station. ARCH: Texas football: QB Arch Manning takes center stage at SEC media days Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football: SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey apologizes to Longhorns


USA Today
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Aggie War Hymn trolls Texas head coach in viral SEC media days moment
Steve Sarkisian might be the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, but the DJ at the SEC media days thought he bled Maroon and White, as the Aggie War Hymn echoed across the room in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday. Symbolic of professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin making his iconic entrance, Sarkisian walked up the stairs and to the podium as if he were born an Aggie. His confidence and swagger had everyone doing double-takes, as another hilarious moment entered the 131-year rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M. In a move that likely made Longhorn boosters and alumni spill their morning coffee, the soundtrack heard around the world joins the growing archive of memes that define the Lone Star Showdown. Longhorn fans shouldn't panic, though. Sarkisian isn't the first Texas head coach in 2025 to show some love for the Maroon and White. Texas baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle ripped a "Gig 'em" on national television during the NCAA Tournament this year, giving fans of both programs yet another reason to crank up the hatred meter. Schlossnagle's blunder provided the perfect ammunition for Aggie fans still feeling the sting of his sudden departure from the Texas A&M baseball program to the school's archrival in Austin, Texas. SEC media days are known for their historically memorable moments with a melting pot of coaching personalities previewing the upcoming season and answering questions from the media. Sarkisian, however, never had a chance to reach the podium before the Aggie War Hymn blared from the speakers. All jokes aside, the Longhorns still hold the most recent "last laugh" over the Aggies from last season's 17-7 win at Kyle Field. Texas A&M will have an opportunity to rectify last year's loss this season and gain the program's first victory over the in-state rivals since 2010. If head coach Mike Elko can lead his team to a massive victory in Austin, these memes will likely make another appearance on everyone's timelines by the time it is all said and done. If a poll were made specifically for the Aggie fan base, many would likely want to give that DJ a raise. While no reporters asked about it during Sarkisian's press conference, the thoughts swirling around his mind while walking up the steps as the Texas A&M fight song played would have likely warranted an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.


USA Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Look: Texas' Steve Sarkisian takes stage at SEC media days to 'Aggie War Hymn'
There was quite the mistake made at SEC media days on Tuesday, July 15, as Texas coach Steve Sarkisian took the stage. Sarkisian was introduced to the podium to the wrong fight song. And it wasn't just any other fight song, either: It was that of the Longhorns' fierce in-state rival, Texas A&M. The fifth-year coach seemed either to not realize that the "Aggie War Hymn" was being played, or at didn't acknowledge it, since it didn't spur much reaction as he arrived to give his opening address. The song was, at least, corrected to "Texas Fight" as Sarkisian left the stage after his media availability. REQUIRED READING: SEC football media days: Live updates from Day 2, headlined by Texas, Georgia Texas and Texas A&M's rivalry was renewed in 2024 after the Longhorns' arrival to the SEC. Texas defeated the Aggies 17-7 on the road in the two programs' first matchup since 2011, when both teams were members of the Big 12. The Longhorns and Aggies face again this season on Friday, Nov. 28, in the regular season finale. The hymn didn't include the lyrics, of course, though diving into the song reveals Texas A&M's hatred for Texas. The second verse of the song includes lines, "Good-bye to Texas University, so long to the orange and the white" and "So good-bye to Texas University, we're going to beat you all to Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem, Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem." While the move was likely nothing more than a mistake at SEC media days, it still made for quite the comedic entrance for Sarkisian to kick off the 2025 college football season in the conference. Maybe Texas A&M coach Mike Elko will make it even and enter to "Texas Fight" when he takes the stage on Thursday, July 17, in Atlanta.


USA Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
SEC mistakenly plays 'Aggie War Hymn' introducing Texas' Steve Sarkisian at Media Days
It seems like something more likely to happen back when Texas was in the Big 12. Tuesday, when introducing Texas coach Steve Sarkisian for his question and answer period at SEC Media Days, the conference mistakenly played wrong fight song. But it wasn't just any fight song. It was the 'Aggie War Hymn.' The SEC has been playing the corresponding fight song when coaches have walked onto the stage at SEC media days. But instead of playing "Texas Fight," the SEC played the fight song of the Longhorns biggest rival. Presumably, whoever was in charge of playing the music inside the room at the Omni Centennial Park Atlanta Hotel saw the word "Texas" and played the wrong one. But it is a really bad gaffe that shouldn't happen when introducing the biggest team in the biggest conference. To Sark's credit, he didn't acknowledge the blunder as he walked on stage and stood in front of the podium. Sark just went on with his opening statements, which started with discussing the tragic Central Texas flooding. Obviously, the embarrassing error went viral on social media immediately. Thankfully, the "music guy" played "Texas Fight" at the end of Sark's presentation. Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire.


USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking all 18 Big Ten fight songs from worst to first
Nothing captures the environment of a college football Saturday quite like the school band playing the fight song. Whether it's heard pregame at a pep rally, in-game at a stadium, or through the television set, the tones of the winning team's fight song become synonymous with the game itself. For a successful team, the song initiates a celebration after each scoring play. On the other side, fans of the losing team quickly grow tired of the opponent's mic'd-up band performing the same tones after every score. As we've outlined over the last few weeks, the 18-program Big Ten Conference boasts some of college football's oldest and most famous venues, its best uniforms and some of its classic helmets. The conference's fight songs are no exception. Other than Tennessee's "Rocky Top," Notre Dame's "Notre Dame Victory March" and Texas A&M's "Aggie War Hymn," there's an argument that the Big Ten boasts nearly all of the sport's top tunes. For specifics, here is a full ranking of the Big Ten's 18 fight songs, ordered worst to best. 18. Northwestern Wildcats: "Go U, Northwestern" Northwestern begins our ranking with a strong fight song, displaying the conference's depth in this regard. Since the lyrics are mostly similar throughout, this ranking only focuses on the tune. Does it fulfill the criteria of classic and catchy? This one at least does okay with the latter. 17. Indiana Hoosiers: "Indiana, Our Indiana" Indiana's fight song isn't memorable. The football program might be to blame for that reality. While the song has a strong tune, it hasn't been correlated with much success over the last three decades, or ever. 16. Nebraska Cornhuskers: "Hail Varsity" Nebraska's fight song leaves a lot to be desired. It blends in with many others in the conference and across the sport. That doesn't make it a 'bad' song. The song just isn't differentiated from the Big Ten's best. Get more (Nebraska) news, analysis and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire 15. Maryland Terrapins: "Maryland Fight Song" As noted previously, this slot does not argue that Maryland has a 'bad' fight song. It just doesn't compare favorably to others across the conference. It is downgraded for not having a real name, which is an important data point. 14. Iowa Hawkeyes: "Iowa Fight Song" Iowa's fight song is also downgraded due to the lack of a unique name. It is a bit more catchy than Maryland's song, though it isn't as exciting as other top songs in the conference. Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire 13. Washington Huskies: "Bow Down To Washington" Washington's song is unique -- its pacing differs from the large group of songs in this ranking that all sound similar. The Huskies deserve credit in that regard. Still, it has a ways to go before it becomes a Big Ten classic. Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire 12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: "The Bells Must Ring" Rutgers has one of the slower fight songs in the Big Ten. That works well for those trying to learn the words, although it doesn't generate the post-score excitement that some of the conference's other top songs do. 11. Illinois Fighting Illini: "Oskee-Wow-Wow" The song name is certainly unique. While this ranking works to ignore the specific lyrics, these must be mentioned. The song takes jabs at the others throughout the conference, noting that every other fight song uses the same cliché sayings. 10. Oregon Ducks: "Mighty Oregon" Oregon has a solid fight song. However, it faces an uphill battle as a new Big Ten member. A three-syllable 'Oregon' fits well into the song's pacing and tone. Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire 9. Penn State Nittany Lions: "Fight On, State" Penn State's song is fast-paced and great for a post-touchdown celebration, which the program is familiar with. The slowed middle and quick finish are both big positives. This is a really strong fight song. Get more (Penn State) news, analysis and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire 8. Minnesota Golden Gophers: "Minnesota Rouser" Minnesota's song fits its name. The tune is quick, catchy and upbeat. It's a song that fans can easily sing along to, even if they don't know every word. 7. UCLA Bruins: "Sons of Westwood" UCLA's fight song has a simple and catchy tune that is easy to catch on to. All the song is missing is placement on a national stage, where a College Football Playoff or big-game broadcast ensures the band is mic'd up for every score. Get more (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire 6. Purdue Boilermakers: "Hail Purdue" Purdue has a fantastic fight song. The problem is that the program hasn't been able to play it much over the last few seasons. The slower middle section gives the song a strong pace, complementing a rousing chorus. 5. Michigan State Spartans: "Victory For MSU" Michigan State starts the Big Ten's elite tier of fight songs. The song's unique start blends well into the steady tune, giving fans a second or two before joining along. Like with some other top songs, a slow middle verse is a strong complement to the fast-paced chorus. Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinions on Spartans Wire 4. Ohio State Buckeyes: "Buckeye Battle Cry" Ohio State's fight song is hard to forget, due to the program's annual place atop both the conference and the entire sport. The song itself falls far behind the conference's top three. It doesn't pick up until the chorus starts at the 0:40 mark. Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire 3. USC Trojans: "Fight On" Some others may put USC's fight song at the top of this list, partially due to its placement with some of the sport's biggest moments. The song itself is a classic. Its unique statement-and-response form is what leads it to this top-tier ranking. However, it still feels more like a Pac-12 song than a Big Ten staple. Get more (USC) news, analysis and opinions on Trojans Wire 2. Wisconsin Badgers: "On, Wisconsin!" Wisconsin's fight song is only No. 2 due to the top-end success of the top program on this list, which makes its fight song one of the sport's classics. 'On, Wisconsin!' is not far behind, however. The song is unique, catchy and upbeat. It represents what a great college fight song should sound like. 1. Michigan Wolverines: "The Victors" Michigan's fight song will likely hold the No. 1 spot on any sport-wide ranking. It's unique, catchy and, due to the program's success, an absolute classic. Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion