As Texas prepares to exit the Big 12 after this year, there will likely remain no love lost between the Longhorns and the conference itself.
Last week, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark attended a luncheon at Texas Tech and closed his remarks by telling head coach Joey McGuire, “I’m not going to put any pressure on you, but I’m going to be in Austin on Thanksgiving. And you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year,” referring to Texas Tech’s victory over the Longhorns last season.
During his media availability on Monday, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian responded. Per The Athletic, Sarkisian told the team, “I get it, guys. We’re the University of Texas, we’re not the fan favorite outside the state of Texas. We’re not the fan favorite when we get out of Austin.”
While he understands the situation, Sarkisian continued, taking a page out of John Cena’s playbook and suggesting his team “embrace the hate.”
“You can’t just sit back and keep taking punches and it’s just OK,” Sarkisian added.
The Texas/Texas Tech rivalry has heated up even more in the past year, with the Red Raiders capturing their first home victory over Texas since 2008 last season. Additionally, with the Longhorns heading to the SEC, there’s a real possibility that this season’s meeting will be the last between the two teams indefinitely.