Building the Texas Brand

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1960s Texas Longhorns Football

Building The Brand

ABC is billing [the UT/nd kickoff] as "the network's first-ever live, Sunday, prime-time, regular season college football game."

It’s not like the Longhorns are strangers to making TV sports history. In fact, the now famous "Texas Brand" owes its foundation to an era where college football on television was experiencing growing pains and to a coach who appreciated the underestimated value of the medium.

Just Win Baby
Winning of course drives everything, and from 1961-70 two programs, or rather two coaches, dominated the collegiate landscape.

Texas and Alabama. Darrell and Bear.

Both programs would win 3 National Championships during the decade, including one disputed title for each. The two coaches were almost as alike as their records. Defensive-minded, detail oriented, taskmasters who demanded respect from their players.

For Royal that attention to detail went beyond the football field. His vision of marketing and the oncoming growth of college football on television would mark the Longhorns expansion on the national scene.

The Logo
I picked to start the decade in 1961 for a reason. Royal had four complete recruiting cycles. The defense gave up more than 7 points in a game just once and the joke was that the second-teamers lettered before most of the starters thanks to early playing time. Royal considered it athletically superior to his 1963 National Championship team.

It was also the first year of the Longhorn logo.

The previous summer Royal approached Rooster Andrews, a sporting goods executive in Austin, about creating a Longhorn sticker. Andrews... gave Royal a crayon drawing of a longhorn head. Royal wanted it put on the helmet.

Royal loved several aspects of the drawing. First and foremost is was minimalist. No comic details such as flaring nostrils or blazing eyes. A simple orange longhorn silhouette on a white helmet. At that time most collegiate helmets had stripes down the middle and numbers on the sides. Royal wanted to create a look all its own and he tinkered with it over the next few years. The middle stripe was lost the next season. Originally the number was above the longhorn, but in 1967 it was permanently moved to the back.

Clean. Uncluttered. Instantly recognizable.

1962 also saw the return of the Burnt Orange jersey. Texas had adopted the color early in the 1900’s. However, first during the depression and then during WWII they had gone to a lighter shade of orange, as the burnt orange dye was in short supply and expensive.

None of this was by happenstance. Royal wanted a distinctive look in order for his team to stand out from others – especially on television. One team of Longhorns. One team in Burnt Orange. He understood that the medium was about to become an important factor in college football and having a unique look, down to a shade of orange that no one else was using, was important to him.

"There are 29 peaks in Colorado taller than Pikes Peak," said Royal. "Name one."

College Football on TV
Nov. 10, 2001... is the last time the Longhorns played a football game that was not telecast on some platform. That was 193 games ago.

1961-1970 saw Texas play 109 times – with only 31 games (29%), being telecast.

College football began to appear on the networks in 1952, with tight restrictions from the NCAA. They allowed one national game a week for 8 weeks during the season and then regional broadcasts the other weeks. They also ruled that a team could not be seen more than three times in a season.

As the decade reached the mid-60’s, color TV experienced explosive growth. The distinctive look of the Texas Longhorns was built for the new medium.

At this time, limiting the appearances actually helped those who did get the maximum exposure of 3 games a year.

It was the Law of Supply and Demand. There were only 3 networks, and a severely restricted amount of games being televised. If you were a college football fan, you might get one or two games in your market a week. You win 88% of your games then it stands to reason you are going to play on TV and look good when you do. From 1961-70 Texas was 24-7 on televised contests, including bowl games. The Horns went 16-5 on national telecasts.

It’s not just about winning. It’s about winning at the right time, in front of the largest viewing audiences. Four games stand out as helping to establish the Longhorn brand among college football fans.

1964 Cotton Bowl
After the 1963 regular season there were only 8 bowl games, all played within 12 days. They traditionally carried little or no weight when it came to naming a National Champion.

Texas was already crowned National Champion by every major service, the first unanimous choice since Michigan in 1948. But some on the east coast had their doubts.

Navy’s Heisman winning QB, Roger Staubach, was the darling of the national press. He graced the cover of Time Magazine. The same mag that called Darrell Royal "The Barry Goldwater of College Football," and said he was so conservative that "he looked both ways before crossing a one-way street," to which Royal replied that it only seemed to be common sense.

The 28-6 thumping was telecast on CBS. Kick off was 12:00 noon central. The Sugar Bowl (Alabama vs. Mississippi) also kicked off at noon on NBC, while the Orange Bowl (Auburn vs. Nebraska) started a half hour earlier on ABC.

Having that cluttered a schedule of bowl games was about to change.

1965 Orange Bowl
As the once-beaten defending national champs, Texas was the hottest "free agent" team available, thanks in part the "exhibition" nature of bowl games.

The Orange Bowl turned its attention to #2 Alabama. On Nov. 26th the Crimson Tide edged Auburn 21-14 and accepted a bid to play Texas in Miami. Two days later, the Orange Bowl hit the jackpot. USC upset Notre Dame 20-17, giving Alabama the National Championship from AP and UPI.

As the decade reached the mid-60’s, color TV experienced explosive growth. NBC, owned by RCA, was the first network to go all in on presenting a full schedule of color programming. Hoping to sell more color TV sets, NBC went about creating synergy before synergy was cool.

The Peacock Network decided that owning January 1st, with colorful New Year’s Day parades and college football bowl games would generate more TV sales, so they had persuaded the Orange Bowl to jump from ABC to NBC, and more importantly, to play the game in prime time.

Suddenly the Orange Bowl (and NBC) had a match up that rivaled any in recent memory.

• The first primetime College Bowl Game
• The 1964 National Champion vs. the 1963 National Champion
• Two of the most recognizable coaches in the game

NBC pulled out all the stops for the game assigning their #1 pro football announcing team - play-by-play legend Curt Gowdy, along with commentator Paul Christman. Fireworks before and at halftime, which was extended to include not just the two teams bands, but local bands as well. Taking no chances, the bowl committee scotch-taped real oranges onto the fake trees in the east end zone, where bathing beauties were lounging on coral rocks.

This game drew almost 5 times the audience (40 million viewers), making it the most watched college football game up to that time. The two best programs of the ‘60’s putting on a show in prime time, helping to kick-start a surge of popularity in the college game.

That game took place over 51 years ago, and both teams are instantly recognizable in the game film. When you are among the elite, there is no reason to "candy up" the uniforms.

1969 Texas-Arkansas
ABC had recently paid the NCAA $10 million for the TV rights to college football. Network Publicist Beano Cook went to ABC Sports President Roone Arledge with an idea to "time-shift" one of the few marquee games on their schedule. The Arkansas-Texas game in mid October was one of the most attractive match ups of the year. However, it was scheduled to go against the World Series (yes they actually played day games back then). Arkansas’ stadium had no lights, so why not persuade the NCAA and the two teams to move the game to December, and give the network a quality game after Ohio State (the presumptive National Champion) finished their season?

Both Royal and Frank Broyles made it clear that they would agree to the shift only if the game did not count against their limited number of TV appearances for the season. The NCAA signed off and the game was moved.

As expected Ohio State ripped through their first 8 opponents by an average score of 42-8. Last up was a Nov. 22nd date at Michigan. The Wolverines would go to the Rose Bowl with a win over the Buckeyes, while Ohio State could wrap up their second consecutive National Championship with a victory.

Michigan led 24-12 at the half and that was the final score [as well as] the final piece to setting up "The Game of the Century."

1970 Cotton Bowl
As the 1969 season unfolded, the usually wild bowl selection process seemed almost tame.

Jim "Hoss" Brock was the chief recruiter for the Cotton Bowl, and Hoss never met an AD, Coach or adult beverage that he didn’t absolutely love. A former SID at TCU, Brock understood that the Cotton Bowl was fighting with a short stick when competing with New Orleans or Miami for elite teams. Dallas can be as cold and unforgiving as New York City on New Years, but Brock treated bowl selection as a year round sport and he loved every minute of it.

Brock heard rumors of Notre Dame’s [decision to accept a bowl bid, having refused all others since 1926] early in the season, and while he worked on Penn State, he always kept Notre Dame in play.

As for the Irish, they were looking to get the best match up possible. Brock convinced them that either Texas or Arkansas would be unbeaten, and at worst, #2 to Ohio State by the end of the season. So on Nov. 17th, Notre Dame stunned the college football world by agreeing to come to the Cotton Bowl.

After December 6th, the Cotton Bowl had the most attractive match up in any bowl for decades.

With all the ballyhoo about the game, Texas had to deal with a horrific situation. Two days after the Arkansas contest Freddie Steinmark finally told the doctors about his injured leg. X-rays revealed a bone tumor just above his left knee. A biopsy confirmed the tumor was malignant....

Texas was indeed fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time during much of the 1960’s.

But then again, as a wise man once said, "Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity."

Hookem

[UTfanatic]

How can you describe being a Longhorn?

................

 

You can't!

YOU FEEL IT!

Hookem

 

 

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

22 hours ago, bulldogbacker said:

Per a lengthy, detailed, and interesting 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

 article:
 

1960s Texas Longhorns Football

Building The Brand

ABC is billing [the UT/nd kickoff] as "the network's first-ever live, Sunday, prime-time, regular season college football game."

It’s not like the Longhorns are strangers to making TV sports history. In fact, the now famous "Texas Brand" owes its foundation to an era where college football on television was experiencing growing pains and to a coach who appreciated the underestimated value of the medium.

Just Win Baby
Winning of course drives everything, and from 1961-70 two programs, or rather two coaches, dominated the collegiate landscape.

Texas and Alabama. Darrell and Bear.

Both programs would win 3 National Championships during the decade, including one disputed title for each. The two coaches were almost as alike as their records. Defensive-minded, detail oriented, taskmasters who demanded respect from their players.

For Royal that attention to detail went beyond the football field. His vision of marketing and the oncoming growth of college football on television would mark the Longhorns expansion on the national scene.

The Logo
I picked to start the decade in 1961 for a reason. Royal had four complete recruiting cycles. The defense gave up more than 7 points in a game just once and the joke was that the second-teamers lettered before most of the starters thanks to early playing time. Royal considered it athletically superior to his 1963 National Championship team.

It was also the first year of the Longhorn logo.

The previous summer Royal approached Rooster Andrews, a sporting goods executive in Austin, about creating a Longhorn sticker. Andrews... gave Royal a crayon drawing of a longhorn head. Royal wanted it put on the helmet.

Royal loved several aspects of the drawing. First and foremost is was minimalist. No comic details such as flaring nostrils or blazing eyes. A simple orange longhorn silhouette on a white helmet. At that time most collegiate helmets had stripes down the middle and numbers on the sides. Royal wanted to create a look all its own and he tinkered with it over the next few years. The middle stripe was lost the next season. Originally the number was above the longhorn, but in 1967 it was permanently moved to the back.

Clean. Uncluttered. Instantly recognizable.

1962 also saw the return of the Burnt Orange jersey. Texas had adopted the color early in the 1900’s. However, first during the depression and then during WWII they had gone to a lighter shade of orange, as the burnt orange dye was in short supply and expensive.

None of this was by happenstance. Royal wanted a distinctive look in order for his team to stand out from others – especially on television. One team of Longhorns. One team in Burnt Orange. He understood that the medium was about to become an important factor in college football and having a unique look, down to a shade of orange that no one else was using, was important to him.

"There are 29 peaks in Colorado taller than Pikes Peak," said Royal. "Name one."

College Football on TV
Nov. 10, 2001... is the last time the Longhorns played a football game that was not telecast on some platform. That was 193 games ago.

1961-1970 saw Texas play 109 times – with only 31 games (29%), being telecast.

College football began to appear on the networks in 1952, with tight restrictions from the NCAA. They allowed one national game a week for 8 weeks during the season and then regional broadcasts the other weeks. They also ruled that a team could not be seen more than three times in a season.

As the decade reached the mid-60’s, color TV experienced explosive growth. The distinctive look of the Texas Longhorns was built for the new medium.

At this time, limiting the appearances actually helped those who did get the maximum exposure of 3 games a year.

It was the Law of Supply and Demand. There were only 3 networks, and a severely restricted amount of games being televised. If you were a college football fan, you might get one or two games in your market a week. You win 88% of your games then it stands to reason you are going to play on TV and look good when you do. From 1961-70 Texas was 24-7 on televised contests, including bowl games. The Horns went 16-5 on national telecasts.

It’s not just about winning. It’s about winning at the right time, in front of the largest viewing audiences. Four games stand out as helping to establish the Longhorn brand among college football fans.

1964 Cotton Bowl
After the 1963 regular season there were only 8 bowl games, all played within 12 days. They traditionally carried little or no weight when it came to naming a National Champion.

Texas was already crowned National Champion by every major service, the first unanimous choice since Michigan in 1948. But some on the east coast had their doubts.

Navy’s Heisman winning QB, Roger Staubach, was the darling of the national press. He graced the cover of Time Magazine. The same mag that called Darrell Royal "The Barry Goldwater of College Football," and said he was so conservative that "he looked both ways before crossing a one-way street," to which Royal replied that it only seemed to be common sense.

The 28-6 thumping was telecast on CBS. Kick off was 12:00 noon central. The Sugar Bowl (Alabama vs. Mississippi) also kicked off at noon on NBC, while the Orange Bowl (Auburn vs. Nebraska) started a half hour earlier on ABC.

Having that cluttered a schedule of bowl games was about to change.

1965 Orange Bowl
As the once-beaten defending national champs, Texas was the hottest "free agent" team available, thanks in part the "exhibition" nature of bowl games.

The Orange Bowl turned its attention to #2 Alabama. On Nov. 26th the Crimson Tide edged Auburn 21-14 and accepted a bid to play Texas in Miami. Two days later, the Orange Bowl hit the jackpot. USC upset Notre Dame 20-17, giving Alabama the National Championship from AP and UPI.

As the decade reached the mid-60’s, color TV experienced explosive growth. NBC, owned by RCA, was the first network to go all in on presenting a full schedule of color programming. Hoping to sell more color TV sets, NBC went about creating synergy before synergy was cool.

The Peacock Network decided that owning January 1st, with colorful New Year’s Day parades and college football bowl games would generate more TV sales, so they had persuaded the Orange Bowl to jump from ABC to NBC, and more importantly, to play the game in prime time.

Suddenly the Orange Bowl (and NBC) had a match up that rivaled any in recent memory.

• The first primetime College Bowl Game
• The 1964 National Champion vs. the 1963 National Champion
• Two of the most recognizable coaches in the game

NBC pulled out all the stops for the game assigning their #1 pro football announcing team - play-by-play legend Curt Gowdy, along with commentator Paul Christman. Fireworks before and at halftime, which was extended to include not just the two teams bands, but local bands as well. Taking no chances, the bowl committee scotch-taped real oranges onto the fake trees in the east end zone, where bathing beauties were lounging on coral rocks.

This game drew almost 5 times the audience (40 million viewers), making it the most watched college football game up to that time. The two best programs of the ‘60’s putting on a show in prime time, helping to kick-start a surge of popularity in the college game.

That game took place over 51 years ago, and both teams are instantly recognizable in the game film. When you are among the elite, there is no reason to "candy up" the uniforms.

1969 Texas-Arkansas
ABC had recently paid the NCAA $10 million for the TV rights to college football. Network Publicist Beano Cook went to ABC Sports President Roone Arledge with an idea to "time-shift" one of the few marquee games on their schedule. The Arkansas-Texas game in mid October was one of the most attractive match ups of the year. However, it was scheduled to go against the World Series (yes they actually played day games back then). Arkansas’ stadium had no lights, so why not persuade the NCAA and the two teams to move the game to December, and give the network a quality game after Ohio State (the presumptive National Champion) finished their season?

Both Royal and Frank Broyles made it clear that they would agree to the shift only if the game did not count against their limited number of TV appearances for the season. The NCAA signed off and the game was moved.

As expected Ohio State ripped through their first 8 opponents by an average score of 42-8. Last up was a Nov. 22nd date at Michigan. The Wolverines would go to the Rose Bowl with a win over the Buckeyes, while Ohio State could wrap up their second consecutive National Championship with a victory.

Michigan led 24-12 at the half and that was the final score [as well as] the final piece to setting up "The Game of the Century."

1970 Cotton Bowl
As the 1969 season unfolded, the usually wild bowl selection process seemed almost tame.

Jim "Hoss" Brock was the chief recruiter for the Cotton Bowl, and Hoss never met an AD, Coach or adult beverage that he didn’t absolutely love. A former SID at TCU, Brock understood that the Cotton Bowl was fighting with a short stick when competing with New Orleans or Miami for elite teams. Dallas can be as cold and unforgiving as New York City on New Years, but Brock treated bowl selection as a year round sport and he loved every minute of it.

Brock heard rumors of Notre Dame’s [decision to accept a bowl bid, having refused all others since 1926] early in the season, and while he worked on Penn State, he always kept Notre Dame in play.

As for the Irish, they were looking to get the best match up possible. Brock convinced them that either Texas or Arkansas would be unbeaten, and at worst, #2 to Ohio State by the end of the season. So on Nov. 17th, Notre Dame stunned the college football world by agreeing to come to the Cotton Bowl.

After December 6th, the Cotton Bowl had the most attractive match up in any bowl for decades.

With all the ballyhoo about the game, Texas had to deal with a horrific situation. Two days after the Arkansas contest Freddie Steinmark finally told the doctors about his injured leg. X-rays revealed a bone tumor just above his left knee. A biopsy confirmed the tumor was malignant....

Texas was indeed fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time during much of the 1960’s.

But then again, as a wise man once said, "Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity."

Hookem

*yawn* make a bowl game. 

[UTfanatic]

4 hours ago, bulldogbacker said:

How can you describe being a Longhorn?

................

 

You can't!

YOU FEEL IT!

Hookem

 

 

 

45 minutes ago, Mr. Buddy Garrity said:

 

Hookem