Austin, TX

Texas swaggers into SEC and midseason break undefeated and in best shape in more than a decade

Published

2 years ago

October 7, 2024

Texas swaggers into SEC and midseason break undefeated and in best shape in more than a decade

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AUSTIN, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 28: Malik Muhammad during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Grant Wild/The University of Texas Athletics/University Imag

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — When Texas hosted a football recruiting weekend last summer, prospective players walked a burnt orange carpet flanked by nearly a dozen Lamborghinis with engines revving and growling and music blaring.

It was an homage to coach Steve Sarkisian’s motto since he arrived four years ago — “All gas, no brakes” — and what the program hopes to be able to deliver in the new era of excess in college football: substance with style.

Following a slow ramp-up that nearly ran off the road when Sarkisian started, Texas has hit full speed.

After winning last season’s Big 12 title in the program’s final season in that league and making the College Football Playoff for the first time, Texas entered this season ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25. By Week 3, the Longhorns were No. 1 for the first time in 16 years. Their long-awaited Southeastern Conference debut was a smashing success, led by backup quarterback Arch Manning, the scion of one of America’s most famous football families.

Texas, which returned to No. 1 on Sunday, is 5-0 and heading into its Oct. 12 rivalry game with Oklahoma in Dallas. And from the Lamborghinis in June to the “TexCalibur” turnover sword that debuted on the sideline this year, these Longhorns are fully enjoying the program’s rejuvenation.

“I love that our personality is coming out of this team. I think we’ve got a pretty cool swagger about us right now,” Sarkisian said before Texas beat Mississippi State 35-13 to earn the program’s first SEC victory. “But that swagger has been earned.”

Longhorns arrive

Texas roared into the SEC this year on the heels of winning 15 of the Big 12’s regular-season or tournament championships across all sports in the Longhorns’ final year in that league. The volleyball team is the two-time defending national champion. The rowing team has won three of the last four national titles.

Overall, Texas has won three of the last four Directors’ Cups, awarded to the nation’s most successful athletic department.

“A united Texas,” athletic director Chris Del Conte likes to say, “is a reckoning.”

“There’s a standard here that is very high, and there’s an expectation of performance, and it’s not just in football, it’s in every sport,” said Sarkisian, a previous head coach at both Washington and Southern California. “So the conference may have changed, but our standard and our expectations really haven’t … The SEC slogan, ‘It just means more,’ matters. But I feel like at Texas, when you take this job, it just means more here, too.”

Texas has even poked at old rival Texas A&M a couple of times already. Shortly after Texas A&M lost in the College World Series, Del Conte swooped in and hired away Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle. Last week, a crowd of nearly 10,000 packed A&M’s Reed Arena for Texas’ SEC debut in volleyball, the largest in state history for a volleyball match, only to watch the Longhorns leave with a 3-1 victory.

But football is the Lamborghini of college sports, and after hitting some early speed bumps, Sarkisian has the program humming after more than a decade of not being in contention for national titles.

Texas went 5-7 in Sarkisian’s first year, a season that included a six-game losing skid, the program’s worst in 65 years. Texas rebounded to 8-5 a year later, then went 11-1 in the regular season in 2023, won the Big 12 crown and was one play away from the national championship game.

Cashing in

Texas gave Sarkisian a four-year contract extension to keep him through 2030 in a contract that pays him more than $10 million per year and makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the business.

Sarkisian has to keep winning and keep pulling in the recruits and transfers in the new era of athletes being able to cash in on the use of their name, image and likeness. Few programs, if any, are better positioned to do that.

Texas has been among the most aggressive in the country in the NIL era, from the initial launch of the Clark Field Collective (now known as Clark Field Creative) and the Pancake Factory, a nonprofit that pledged $50,000 annually to scholarship offensive linemen in late 2021, just before Sarkisian signed his first recruiting class.

Those entities, and NIL projects supporting baseball and golf, were all rolled under the umbrella of the Texas One Fund in late 2022. In August, Texas announced that donations to the Texas One Fund will be rewarded with “loyalty points” within the Longhorn Foundation, that can be used toward season tickets and other perks.

“Texas has one of the best NIL situations in college sports,” said sports law attorney Mit Winter, who tracks the evolving NIL marketplace and how schools are operating.

“Money isn’t an issue, and they have their donors and supporters all on the same page,” Winter said. “Talent wins in college sports and Texas and its collective are doing everything necessary to ensure Texas continues to have the best talent.”

The Texas brand itself helps Longhorns players cash in.

Starting quarterback quarterback Quinn Ewers’ endorsements have included deals with video game, apparel and beverage companies. Another gives him use of a private jet. According to On3.com, Ewers ranks No. 6 overall and No. 5 among college football players with a valuation of $2.1 million.

Ranked just above him: backup quarterback Arch Manning at No. 4 and $3.1 million.

With his program humming and players cashing in, Sarkisian was on the road recruiting this weekend, with swagger to spare.

“It’s always a good thing when you get to go on the road undefeated and recruit,” he said. “It’s kind of like they roll out the red carpet for you.”

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Austin, TX

More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says – WTOP News

Published

9 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in…

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says.

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© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Austin, TX

Live updates: Flash Flood emergency in Kerr County as rain continues to pound Texas

Published

21 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Live updates: Flash Flood emergency in Kerr County as rain continues to pound Texas

KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Kerrville issued a shelter-in-place Thursday morning, with heavy rain causing reported evacuations early Thursday morning. A Flash Flood Warning is currently in place for Kerr County as the Guadalupe River continues to rise.

Around 5:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave is moving down” the Guadalupe River.

KXAN First Warning Weather Meteorologist Kristen Currie said approximately 11 inches of rain have fallen northwest of Kerr County since 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The Guadalupe River is expected to reach major flood stage in multiple areas.

Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter said “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.” Officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.

Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:

Goat Creek
Arcadia Loop
Lowery/Guadalupe area
Junction Highway low-water crossings
Other low-lying neighborhoods

Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.

Here are the latest headlines:

Live updates

7:03 a.m.: KXAN’s Kevin Baskar is in Gillespie County providing updates on the latest flood conditions in the area. Watch his update below.

6:37 a.m.: Kerr County officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.

Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:

Goat Creek
Arcadia Loop
Lowery/Guadalupe area
Junction Highway low-water crossings
Other low-lying neighborhoods

Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.

6:27 a.m.: Video shows emergency crews hauling boats and rescue equipment through Kerrville.

6:15 a.m. NewsNation correspondent Xavier Walton and his photographer captured a structure being swept up in river water and crashing into a Kerrville bridge. The structure appears to be some sort of shipping container, pushing against the bridge.

Watch the video below:

6:08 a.m.: Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter confirms “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.”

6:02 a.m.: The Guadalupe River at Center Point is expected to crest at 35 feet, which is the same crest as July 4, 2025.

5:57 a.m.: The National Weather Service said “a large deadly flood wave” is moving down the Guadalupe River.

5:49 a.m.: The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said it has units in Kerrville and Centerpoint alerting people along the Guadalupe River. They’re helping Kerr County with evacuations along Highway 27 between Comfort and Centerpoint. They said all VFD personnel are OK.

5:30 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it’s received reports of “street flooding in Ingram, and it’s likely many roads and city streets are flooded as well.”

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Austin, TX

Austin Pets Alive! activates emergency response to assist shelters affected by flooding

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Austin Pets Alive! activates emergency response to assist shelters affected by flooding

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.

In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”

APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.

Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.

The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.

Here are ways you can help:

Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.

If you would like to donate, click here.

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