RSVP for the grand opening

AUSTIN, Texas -- Friday, Aug. 30 will be an exciting day on the Forty Acres with the public grand opening of The Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame. A celebration begins at 1 p.m. when UT unveils its first-ever all-sports Hall of Fame, a $17.1 million project housed in the Red McCombs Red Zone in the north end zone of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The event is open to the public and free of charge. Fans should RSVP HERE to attend the grand opening.

Texas Athletics broke ground on the 24,713-square foot facility in January 2019 and about eight months later, the spectacular site of Longhorns lore -- past, present and future -- is a reality.

"So much of our history was scattered throughout campus and in our various sports venues. We now have all of our traditions, trophies, awards and accomplishments housed in one place. It's truly awesome," said UT Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. "It's an amazing facility where we are celebrating The University of Texas and what it means to be a Longhorn. We've put a ton of energy and resources into this and can't wait for everyone to see it."

Greeted by an impressive 8-foot tall, 1,200-pound Longhorn statue honoring one of the nation's largest and most-storied collegiate mascots, Bevo, the facility tells the story of Texas Athletics from the vintage days of its first football team in 1893 to what is now one of the nation's premier broad-based athletics programs. Bracketing the Longhorn statue are halo displays celebrating the recent successes of all 20 of Texas' sports teams. There are visual and digital displays honoring all 55 of UT's National Championship teams, 599 conference team titles, hundreds of individual national champions, 171 Olympians at 21 Olympiads who claimed 145 Olympic medals and first-team sports All-Americans, academic All-Americans and other scholastic honorees, as well as the traditions and tales that encompass the history of Longhorns Athletics. All totaled, the facility is decorated with 392 trophies representing generations of successful UT teams, student-athletes and coaches.

"We have an old adage at Texas, 'The pride and winning tradition of the Texas Longhorns will not be entrusted to the weak nor the timid,'" Del Conte added. "That message really takes shape when you walk through the Hall of Fame and get a chance to see the greatness and success stories on display of so many who proudly wore the burnt orange and white."

A nearly 1,400-square-foot National Championship room includes a breathtaking trophy wall and features a massive 16-by-9-foot monitor that will play videos celebrating all of the thrilling team title victories for Texas. It also includes a replica of the UT Tower that illuminates much like the iconic building does to recognize Longhorn victories.

Texas' National Awards winners and their trophies will be on display in a 2,000-square-foot room recognizing their achievements as well as imagery reliving every Longhorn individual national championship triumph. Rooms are also dedicated to pay tribute to UT's all-time greatest coaches, its numerous Olympians and the 529 members of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, including the 14 new members from the class of 2019 who will be enshrined on Friday night (Aug. 30). Powerful displays sharing the stories of academic accomplishments, UT trailblazers and Lifetime Longhorns success are spread throughout the building's walls as well.

The Hall of Fame is now also home to Texas Athletics' current statues of iconic coaches Darrell Royal and Jody Conradt , Heisman Trophy winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, as well as prominent supporters Joe Jamail, Red McCombs and Tex Moncrief.

"You can see the Heisman Trophy winners, look at all of our All-Americans and Hall of Honor members, see videos recognizing all of our 55 National Championship teams and take a picture with a beautiful Longhorn statue. It's a wonderful celebration of our school," Del Conte said. "I want to give a special thanks to Chris Plonsky and the entire team that headed this up for their hard work and dedication to this project. They all worked tirelessly and meticulously along with our friends at Advent and the entire construction crew to make this dream a reality. I know everyone will be blown away when they see it."

A visual timeline of all 15 Bevos, dating back to the first Longhorn steer mascot in 1917, is a prominent fixture, and along its path is a wall full of great moments in Texas Athletics history. Another engaging element will be the social media command center located right in the middle of the Hall of Fame. Highlighted by a giant LED panel monitor and manned by UT social media experts, it will be the place to be to catch up on all the discussions and latest news on the Longhorns.

The grand opening will give fans a look at phase one of the The Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame. There are plenty of great things to see in the current physical layout but there will be digital expansion to come, new displays and updated presentations. So, while your first visit is sure to impress, the Hall of Fame will continue be a go-to location for alumni, fans, supporters and college athletics enthusiasts for years to come.