If you’re looking for UT to win a bid to the Big 12 title game, you’ll be sorely disappointed if you think they’ll do so as a result of Bevo’s presence. Is he their star quarterback? Is he a prized running back? Is he a massive defensive end? No. But, he’s been integral to their game for ages. Bevo is the beloved Texas mascot and their biggest supporter – literally. He’s traveled to many Texas Longhorns away games, but Kansas is banning poor Bevo from their upcoming gridiron battle.
Bevo is actually Bevo XV. He is a three-year-old longhorn steer representing 73 years of stellar Texas mascot service. He can’t attend the upcoming Longhorns football game due to the Kansas Jayhawks rule that prohibits live mascots from being present in the stadium. According to UT, this upcoming Thanksgiving game will be only the second that the Texas Longhorns’ beloved mascot couldn’t be present in the more than seven decades he’s been supporting the team.
Photo: Facebook/Texas Longhorns
A long-time part of Texas Longhorn football, the original mascot was brought to a Thanksgiving Day game in 1916. At the time, the campus magazine editor, Ben Dyer, gave him his moniker – it’s believed either referencing a non-alcoholic drink that went by the same name, or due to the fact that beeves is the plural of beef. At any rate, Bevo XV is part of a long-standing tradition and a pillar in the Longhorn football community, particularly during Thanksgiving football games. He can typically be found behind the end zones throughout the course of a game. XV’s real name was Sunrise Spur, but since all Texas Longhorn mascots are renamed Bevo, that became his title as well.
Photo: Facebook/Donald Acrey
UT, with a record of 8-3, travels to Kansas, with a record of 3-8, on Friday, November 23. A win for the Longhorns would see them have a berth in the Big 12 championship game, playing either West Virginia or Oklahoma. There’s been no word as to where good ole Bevo will be during the game. Keeping him comfortable has got to be no small feat in itself. Although no official weight has been listed for XV, his predecessor weighed-in at 1,800 pounds. Eating 30 pounds of food per day, you can bet Bevo XV is well on his way there, if he hasn’t surpassed that! If he’s a true UT fan, like many of us he’ll probably be eating his way through the upcoming game.
