AUSTIN, Texas -- For Longhorn fans, looking ahead to next year's schedule is part of the fun. But one student group has done just that and doesn't like what it sees. The problem isn't the opponent, but the date itself, for one of the most significant games of the year.
Texas - Oklahoma. Every year fans converge on Dallas to see which team gets bragging rights in the Big-12 South. But next year's conflict goes beyond the gridiron for some. It falls on October 8, the same day Jews celebrate Yom Kippur, their holiest day of the year.
"It is a holiday of fasting, its a holiday of repentance, self-reflection, of atonement, and these are two very, one very serious thing and one very fun thing and we just really don't think that its fair that Jewish students should be forced to choose between the two," said Ben Freed, a Jewish UT student.
Freed is one of the more than 3,000 UT students who are Jewish. He's leading the charge to get the date of next year's game changed.
"Colorado is leaving, Nebraska is leaving, the schedules have to be restructured anyway, if the schedules are going to be rescheduled, lets move this game," said Freed. "We know that traditionally its on the second, Saturday in October, this year its not, if it can be moved one year it can be moved another year?" he asked.
The Texas Longhorns have played on Yom Kippur five times in the past. The first time in 1940, and most recently in 1997.
"We've had alumni and people that used to attend and were here in those years, that they really appreciate our efforts because they had to make that decision and they did not appreciate that," said Daley Epstein, a Jewish UT student.
A website movetxou.com (Move Texas - OU) has been created to allow supporters to sign a petition. So far, more than 3,500 signatures have been gathered on line.
"I'm a Christian specifically, Catholic denomination, and I signed the petition out of respect for my fellow students and just supporting them," said James Kelly, a UT student.
We also spoke to students who do not support the idea of moving next year's game.
"There's a lot of religious holidays out there, there's a lot of games, and there's going to be conflicts, and if you move it this year basically you have to move it every year and move it for every other reason," said Andrew Durk, a UT student.
UT Athletics Director, Deloss Dodds, has told Freed it's highly unlikely the game will be moved, but Freed is hoping that support from a wide variety of student government groups on campus will help change that.
Here's the link to the website mentioned in the story: http://www.movetxou.com
