UT’s ‘The Drag’ Coincides with Peak Visits and SEC Celebration

Forty-foot-tall burnt orange letters with white trim spelling “T-E-X-A-S” now span the center of Guadalupe Street as part of The University of Texas’ ongoing efforts to enhance the campus experience for its 53,000 students. The design on the famous “Drag,” the western boundary of UT’s traditional campus, is spelled out between UT’s West Mall and neighboring retail establishments, including the University Co-op. The installation comes during a time of peak visits to campus by admitted and prospective students, and during the leadup to the University’s Southeastern Conference Celebration on June 30.

“Guadalupe Street, or the Drag as we affectionately know it, is our symbolic front lawn that tens of thousands of students, faculty, staff and visitors cross every day as they come to class and to work. How they experience our campus contributes to their pride and spirit and is important to their sense of place,” said UT President Jay Hartzell. “I can’t think of a better time to show our tremendous spirit on the street than during a time when thousands of prospective students come for tours, thousands of admitted students and their families come for orientation, and as we prepare for a Texas-sized party marking our entry to the Southeastern Conference.”

The City of Austin worked with the University to ensure the project could be permitted and completed on time. UT and Texas Athletics are hosting an all-day celebration Sunday, June 30, commemorating the Longhorns’ inaugural day in the SEC on July 1. The public event will include live music and fireworks, interactive games, photo-ops with Bevo, an array of food trucks, and live broadcasts by the SEC Network. Admission to the celebration is free, and also includes free activities presented by University museums and centers such as the LBJ Presidential Library, Texas Science & Natural History Museum and Blanton Museum of Art.