Additional emails sent to the president of the University of Texas, Jay Hartzell, in which donors threatened to withdraw donations if the school did not maintain and embrace the “Eyes of Texas” interpretation, came to light, according to the Texas Tribune. In a new report published on Monday, The Tribune It is estimated that well over half of the nearly 300 people who sent Hartzell emails about “The Eyes” demanded that the university continue to touch and support the university’s former alma mater, which was examined in 2020 after racist tones in the melody were revealed.
“From June to the end of October, more than 70% of the nearly 300 people who sent emails to Hartzell’s office about ‘The Eyes demanded that the school continue to play,” The Tribune report read. “About 75 people in e-mails explicitly threatened to stop supporting the school financially, asking the university to act more strongly with students and athletes that they believed were disrespecting the university tradition in protesting against it.”
As confirmed by a previous report by Chris Hummer of 247Sports in December, through records obtained by the Texas Public Information Act, The Tribune reported that “hundreds of alumni and donors “sent Hartzell an e-mail on the subject after Texas’s loss to Oklahoma at the Red River Showdown last October, which ended with the vision of former Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger alone on the field from the Cotton Bowl to the traditional post-game game “The Eyes.” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte was also one of those who received many emails from frustrated alumni and donors.
Among those emails published by The Tribune was one sent by The chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Longhorn Alumni Band Charitable Fund, Kent Kostka, to a group of administrators, including Hartzell, emphasizing that “real damage was being done” by what the group saw as a passive university stance on the matter.
“[Alumni] they are withdrawing planned gifts, canceling donations, moving away from causes and programs that have been their passion for years, even decades, and moving away in disgust. Last night, one texted me at 1 am, trying to find a way to revoke a 7-digit donation, “wrote Kostka’s email, via The Tribune. “This is not hyperbole or exaggeration. Real damage is being done every day by continuous silence.”
As the records previously obtained by 247Sports show, a seven-digit donation was among those that a donor threatened to withdraw. Fans and donors also put former coach Tom Herman in his sights, asking for his resignation – which would eventually materialize on January 2 after a flirt with Urban Meyer – after what was then a 2-2 match for the Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian would be announced as Herman’s replacement less than 24 hours after Herman’s resignation.
During Sarkisian’s introductory press conference in January, the Alabama exit offensive coordinator addressed the situation.
“I know that: ‘The Eyes of Texas’ is our school song,” said Sarkisian. “And we support this song, let’s sing this song, let’s sing it proudly. When I join the group, I think that any conversation that needs to (happen), whether it’s about ‘The Eyes of Texas’ or any other issue that comes up, I think it’s having discussions. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and act as if things are not happening. We really need to have these discussions with them, educate our players and make sure that we are all on the same page to understand this. I think that sometimes there are difficult discussions that need to happen.
Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest news about your team today.
“Not to mention very frankly, we are living in a country now where there is turbulence. But as long as we can have these discussions and be on the same page, we can do that. As far as ‘The Eyes of Texas’ is concerned, this is our song and we are excited to sing it. “