Decals are seen on the Vols helmets before a game between Tennessee and Virginia in Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Caitie McMekin / News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

SEC makes huge decision about who the real UT is

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Dan Benton | Last updated Jul 20, 2024 9:46 AM ET

The college football season hasn’t yet begun, but already, Tennessee has picked up a notable win over Texas.

On Friday, the SEC seemingly put to bed a debate that has raged between Longhorns fans and Volunteers fans since 2021, when it was revealed that Texas would join the conference following their Big 12 departure.

Who is the real “UT?”

In a e-mail sent out with the media’s preseason poll and All-SEC teams, the conference made a very clear distinction between Texas and Tennessee. The former was listed as “TEX” and latter listed as “UT.”

Notice on the email the SEC sent with the media's preseason poll and All-SEC teams…

A Tennessee player listed as "UT". And a Texas player listed as "TEX." pic.twitter.com/SkI2SSH6jB

— Jack Foster (@jackfostermedia) July 19, 2024

And so it was decreed.

Why the SEC decided to go with “TEX” for the Longhorns and “UT” for the Volunteers is unclear, but that won’t stop the opposing fanbases from having a field day with the conference’s choice for abbreviations. SEC fans treat football like a religion, and this will only further add fuel to a budding rivalry.

Unfortunately, Texas and Tennessee are not scheduled for a regular season game until 2026, so fans and players will have to wait a little bit longer before things are settled on the field.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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