What is the reason behind Texas Mascot being called “Bevo”?
Check out the fascinating origin of the name of Texas' famous live mascot, Bevo, which has been a cherished tradition since 1916.
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Texas Mascot, Bevo (Via AP News)
At the heart of the University of Texas in Austin’s vibrant football culture lies an iconic figure that has captured the hearts of fans for over a century: Bevo, the longhorn steer.
As striking as the mascot is, it always raises the intriguing question: where does the name come from? As the Texas Exes says, “It’s one of the best-known stories on campus.”
The University of Texas is renowned for its longstanding tradition of having a live mascot, a practice that has been in place since 1916. Their beloved mascot, Bevo, is a striking Texas Longhorn known for its impressive horns, which can be up to eight feet from tip to tip and distinctive color patterns. Bevo not only represents the university’s spirit and pride but also serves as a symbol of Texas’ rich cattle heritage.
Where did the name ‘Bevo’ come from?
The story behind ‘Bevo’ is quite rich and colorful that began in a late night in Austin. The Day was Thanksgiving when the Texas Longhorns were up against their archrivals, the Texas A&M– whose fans branded the original Longhorn mascot “13-0,” reflecting the score of the game won by the Texas A&M, prompting the Longhorn to creatively alter the brand into “Bevo.”
They turned the ‘13’ into ‘B’ and ‘-’ into ‘E’ and added a ‘V’ before ‘0’ which could easily be made an ‘O’ to spell “BEVO.” The Thanksgiving game ended in Texas’ victory at 21-7, which was announced with a special mention of the mascot by Texas Exes The Alcalde magazine, “His name is Bevo. Long may he reign!“
It is said that a Texas alumnus brought out a Texas Longhorn in the game, however, Longhorn did not find the flashes of the camera amusing, leading it to charge at the cameraman. The proud tradition was then continued by Bevo XV, the current mascot on the sidelines of the Texas matches.
Bevo XV’s wild outburst at Sugar Bowl, 2019
While the Bevo has always been entertaining to the eye, an incident during a 2019 game against the Georgia Bulldogs made a lot of noise, resulting in a lawsuit filed by a former Austin American-Statesman photographer against the owner and handlers of the Bevo XV, who broke free from its barricade that separated him from the crowd.
Bevo is not here for this mascot meeting. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/KXgaQzGm0W
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) January 2, 2019
A clip of the Bevo XV, near the Bulldogs’ sidelines, even went viral, where he was observed to be charging at the 2019 Sugar Bowl. The sudden charge from Bevo sent spectators and photographers scrambling for safety. Thankfully, the chaotic situation got under control with no injuries.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2164 Articles Published)