D1 college team University of Texas at San Antonio (USTA) ditched its historic rallying cry “Come and Take It” due to its connection to “cultural and political” “divisive” issues.
“Over the last decade, the phrase has become increasingly affiliated with cultural and political issues beyond its traditional historical context,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy announced about the removal of the slogan on merchandise, buildings and digital platforms, KSAT.com reported Wednesday. The slogan is also echoed by the student section during the fourth quarter at Roadrunners football games. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
“A simple online search of webpages, articles and images involving this phrase reveals the myriad of ways numerous organizations have adopted it for their particular cause,” he added. “Many of these organizations have values and agendas that differ significantly from ours and our clear focus on excellence in intercollegiate athletics and higher education.”
UTSA is removing all merchandise with this flag/ logo and I would like to say how ignorant this is. So sad to see a major university be so soft when it comes to a phrase that was used in a major historical battle for Texas Independence. Pls stop trying to write over history. pic.twitter.com/aQJVkbN24w
— Garrett Crawford (@GarrettCrawfor7) September 7, 2021
“For our athletics program and our university—each with so much promise and upward momentum—there is no benefit to becoming embroiled in a divisive issue that could carry well into the future and negatively affect our progress,” Eighmy continued in a letter to staff about the move. (RELATED: Quaker Announces That It Will Change Name, Remove Logo From Aunt Jemima Brand)
The president explained how the saying had also “become a distraction from” the school’s “mission and is likely to continue shifting” its “focus away from” the “work yet to be accomplished.”
The slogan gained popularity during the Texas Revolution of 1836 in Gonzales, Texas, KSAT noted.
Vice president of intercollegiate athletics, Lisa Campos, has been picked to come up with a new fourth-quarter rallying tradition in time for the fall 2022 season.
