Alejandro Avila
Videos by OutKick
The NCAA is punishing 27-year-old Zac Collier for singing the national anthem at the Women’s College World Series matchup between Texas and Oklahoma State last week and flashing the ‘Horns Down’ gesture, deemed by the Association as “unsportsmanlike” and “offensive” in a nonsensical excuse to cut Collier’s mic.
The signage is commonly seen as a response to the Longhorns’ Hook’ Em Horns.
“I’m an Aggie; Texas was playing,” Collier told For The Win, detailing his experience performing at the game and the ridiculous ban that cost him his next singing gig.
“I was going to give them a ‘Go Pokes’ [hand gesture] and then a ‘Horns Down’ after the anthem. And that’s exactly what I did.”
Collier, a Texas A&M Grad, said he understood the contentious presumption taken from the gesture but noted that it wasn’t directed at the Longhorns staff or personal in any way.
He posted the email sent by the NCAA informing him that he would no longer be singing the anthem for an upcoming game as a result.
“Due to the unsportsmanlike behavior shown after your performance at the Women’s College World Series, we need to go a different direction,” the NCAA alerted Collier in an email. “You are no longer scheduled to perform Game 9 of the Men’s College World Series.”
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“There’s only one thing that they could consider an offensive gesture and mockery, and that would have been the ‘Horns Down.’ I didn’t say anything to the coaches. I didn’t flip anybody off,” Collier explained. “I was very respectful. And I mean, I’m up there to do a job and to sing the national anthem and to sing it well, and to get the players and the coaches and the people in the stands pumped up. And I felt like I did that.”
Collier assumed the gesture would be taken as a healthy hometown prodding of the rival team but instead was branded as an offensive motion by the soft-shelled NCAA.
The Association responded to Collier’s story from FTW:
“The performance of the national anthem during NCAA championship events is a solemn moment for reflection and mutual respect for all championship participants and fans in attendance. Following his national anthem performance during the Women’s College World Series – during which the performer inappropriately supported one participating team, taunted the other team, and disrupted participating student-athletes and coaches by attempting to interact with them – he was asked not to perform during the Men’s College World Series.”
“I’m a neutral party and showing my support or lack of support for a certain team after the anthem, I can see how somebody could be upset with that,” Collier added. “But the reason I posted wasn’t because I was upset that they said, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t have done that.’ It was because they called the Horns Down an offensive gesture. They said I mocked the other team. Those words specifically, are why I posted about it. Saying that I’m making a mockery of a participating team because I put a Horns Down is ridiculous.”
The A&M grad isn’t backing off despite the NCAA’s warning.
“If I’m going to do the Horns Down, I’m going to do the Horns Down,” Collier said. “I don’t think anybody’s going to stop me from doing it.”
Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela
Most of the nation laughed when the Big 12 made a penalty out of the horns down gesture. Now the NCAA is saying the horns down is offensive in any situation. That’s pretty messed up for certain.
I really don’t want to see Stanky do the same thing when TU and OU come to the SEC.
I was hoping that when Texas moved to the SEC the conference would laugh that penalty into oblivion. Since when is an objectively inoffensive gesture “offensive” simply because it hurts one fanbase’s feelings? Why not ban the Gator chomp or USC’s fight on? Pathetic
Coming from a long family line of intense Texas fans and supports, I can honestly say we could care less if people do the horns down. We understand our power in college athletics. And embrace the envy of lesser programs. Tbh, the Aggie (99% is someone with a degree in agriculture) talks about doing a “go pokes” gesture instead. But I gotta be honest, I’ve never even heard or seen the A&M hand sign. They just aren’t relevant enough. Anyways, really would’ve been fine if NCAA would just stay out of things. Texas is a big boy. We can handle ourselves.
P.S. Quinn Ewers about to pull another joe burrow on Ohio state.
P.P.S. Arch manning is coming to Texas.
Hook ‘Em
Somone at UT must care an awful lot. Lifelong and two time WVU grad here who loves to hate Texas. Horns Down forever! I remember back in 2018 when Will Grier and co broke your hearts (after Grier broke his hand the year before) in Austin and received not one but two unsportsmanlike penalties in one game for doing Horns Down. Texas is so overrated. Come on you can’t consistently beat Kansas State, WVU, TCU, Iowa State and for fucks sake 2 of Kansas’ 6 conference wins in the last 5 seasons are against Texas. Get real and keep dreaming about the 70’s. Good luck going 4-8 in the SEC!
4-7 and demanding a 15 yard penalty for Horns Down is the polar opposite of being a big boy.
P.P.S .A Manning is not going to put his career in the hands of a drunk. LOL
Aggies have been owned by Texas forever. Now getting owned by Alabama. Just when they thought they were free, Texas is back in their business. Love watching silly aggies get all spun up.
Aggies and Northwestern only Power 5 teams to never have top 4 finish in football, basketball or CWS baseball. Losers then and losers now.
And they have guys as cheerleaders. Ags woke before woke was cool.
I like laughing at both schools. Spend so much fucking money to be mediocre must be fun.
I could give two shits about horns down, but he was there as a professional, so he should have acted like one.