Last semester, the Students’ Association passed a resolution to ask the university to start a “cowbell” tradition for athletic events. The resolution was not implemented by the university in time for the grand opening of the stadium.
Former Student Congress member Colton Powell wrote the resolution with the goal of creating a new tradition similar to the Baylor Line or Texas A&M’s Midnight Yell. The tradition would have included giving each student a cowbell with their graduation year on the handle and the four sides of the cowbell painted with the logo of the student organizations they were involved in. Students could bring the cowbells to make noise at every athletic event.
“If we don’t capitalize on the momentum now and the excitement around the football program and the baseball program and all that, we might not have another chance to do it,” Powell said when the measure passed in February.
Student Congress voted unanimously to pass the resolution and the next step was for the SA cabinet to show the university administration that students wanted the cowbell tradition to happen. The plan was for the bells to be distributed to freshmen at Wildcat Week and to upperclassmen through the Campus Store, SA, social clubs and Wildcat Reign.
Powell said in an email that although the SA cabinet went through the appropriate measures, the idea was not implemented by the university administration for this school year.
“The resolution simply stated that Students’ Association endorsed pursuing the idea,” Powell said. “That purpose was fulfilled.”
Although he wrote the resolution to help generate excitement for athletics, Powell said he thinks the new SA cabinet will generate excitement in other ways.
“I think students and fans will be very pleased with the experience both this Saturday and on many more Saturdays in the future,” Powell said. “As we enjoy more and more games in Wildcat Stadium, new traditions will naturally form, regardless of whether or not they are purposefully implemented by administration.”
SA Executive President Danny Burke said SA will work on other traditions, including enhancing tailgates before football games.