When the football team takes the field Thursday, one Longhorn will celebrate his birthday.
But instead of a birthday cake, he’ll feast on bales of hay.
Bevo, the beloved steer and mascot, debuted as The University of Texas at Austin’s mascot during the 1916 Thanksgiving Day football game against Texas AandM. To mark his 98th birthday, The Silver Spurs will present Bevo XIV with a big bale of hay, complete with a candle on top but don’t worry, it’s not actually lit.
While the Bevo birthday festivities this week commemorate the first time a steer served as the university’s mascot, Bevo XIV celebrates his literal birthday on April 8, when he was born as Sunrise Studly.
Bevo XIV celebrated his 10th anniversary as the university’s live Longhorn mascot during the 38-7 victory over North Texas to kickoff the 2014 season.
That win also gave Bevo XIV his 100th “W,” putting him on track give Bevo XIII a run for the title of winningest mascot in school history. With the Longhorns’ most recent victory (28-7 over Oklahoma State), Bevo XIV has now reigned over 105 football wins and only 35 losses.
But Bevo doesn’t just support the football team he also helps make sure local students have a reason to be thankful. Bevo XIV makes as many as 50 appearances annually at events like charity fundraisers, and his appearance fees fund tutoring and mentoring for 6,000 East Austin children in addition to funding scholarships for university students, support for the Texas Neighborhood Longhorns Program and other philanthropic endeavors.
Bevo fanatics who want to meet the steer in person are in luck Bevo XIV will pose for pictures with fans, alumni and friends of the university on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Joe Jamail Field. Get more information about the photo op.
To learn more about the mascot’s history, read “100 Facts about Bevo for Bevo XIV’s 100th Win.”
The Longhorns football team plays its final home game of the season on Thanksgiving Day against TCU. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the Fox Sports 1 network.
Follow Bevo:
Bevo XIV on Twitter
Bevo XIV on Facebook
You may also like:
100 Facts About Bevo for Bevo XIV’s 100th Win
The Truth About Bevo and 9 More UT Facts
Ten UT-Related Twitter Accounts You Should Follow
