Century-Long Torchlight Ceremony Ahead Of Texas-OU Game Axed After Charlottesville Death

AUSTIN, TX — The annual torchlight parade ahead of the upcoming University of Texas football game against the University of Oklahoma — a century-long tradition — has been cancelled given the violence seen in Virginia where similar torches were used, organizers said Tuesday.

The Texas Exes alumni organization said the move was prompted after recent protests in Charlottesville, Va. in which white supremacists used torches to call attention to their defense of Confederate statues preservation. A woman was killed during one such protest when a white supremacist mowed down a group of people with his car.

Although the use of torches ahead of the game against OU has nothing to do with such protests, Texas Exes officials opted to discontinue their use indefinitely for fear of their association with the hate groups. Texas Exes officials sent Patch their official statement on the matter.

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"As has been tradition since 1916, the Texas Exes will host a spirited rally before the OU game where students, alumni, and faculty can come together in fellowship and wish our players good luck," officials wrote. "In light of the tragic events in Charlottesville, we will not be doing a torchlight parade. This night has always been a positive experience for the UT community and it is paramount to us that everyone feels welcome, safe, and part of the Longhorn family."

Texas Exes officials noted a procession to the Main Hall south of the UT Tower still will take place as the site of a Wednesday evening pep rally. Football coach Tom Herman and members of the team are scheduled to deliver remarks at the gathering.

Torch-carrying white nationalists/supremacists in August marched across the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville in protest of proposed removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. Chaos ensued, leading to the death of a counter-protester at the site.

It's unclear if the suspension of the torchlight ceremony is permanent or temporary. This would have been the 31st annual ceremony featuring torches in an event that dates to the turn of the last century.

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