IT Today: Sarkisian, Beard need butts in seats for Bama, hoops games
Welcome to Inside Texas Today! On weekdays, Inside Texas Today will provide the latest on Texas Longhorns sports from around the Forty Acres. This morning, Steve Sarkisian and Chris Beard discuss the need for fans to attend the Alabama game on Sept. 10, and regular season games going forward.
Here’s the Tuesday, May 17, 2022 edition.
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Speaking at a Texas Exes event last week in Dallas, UT head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked if he was going to kick his ex-boss’s butt in September.
The question referred, of course, to Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. Sarkisian, having worked for Saban for a few years, knows better than to give the best head coach in the game any motivational material for his star-studded team.
“In all seriousness, I have a great deal of respect for coach Saban and their program,” Sarkisian said. “That man helped my career more than anybody in my life. I spent three of the last six years with him. I know their players will be ready to play. They’ll be prepared. They’ll be focused. The good thing is, so will we. We’ll be prepared. We’ll be ready to go.”
He also gave a warning to Texas fans, saying that they have a responsibility to make sure there is more burnt orange than crimson in the Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 10.
“We need you, and the one thing I’ll say; buy your tickets, because if you don’t, their fans will.” Sarkisian said. “Two, don’t sell your tickets because their fans will buy them. We need to have a homefield advantage.”
Upon that line, Longhorn men’s basketball head coach took an opportunity to encourage fans to get to the Moody Center.
“In the world of name, image, and likeness and all these other things, there’s still nothing more important than you coming to the games,” Beard said. “So please, any chance you get to come to Austin, come to a game. We have season ticket holders tonight, please come to the games. Get there early, stay late, wear orange, just like Mack Brown.”
“On the nights where you can’t come to the games, I understand that, (but) give somebody your tickets and make sure somebody is in your seats. That’s the biggest thing we’ve got to do from year one to year two with Texas basketball.”
Texas viewing for 5/17
