Athletics Risk Management and Compliance Services: Current Longhorns — Awards — Lettering Criteria
Each sport has different criteria for "lettering," as described in the following list. In cases of extenuating circumstances, criteria may be waived by the head coach.
Baseball: A player must participate in 20 or more games, with conference and/or equivalent grade schools. Pitchers must appear in a minimum of ten games, or pitch a minimum of 25 innings.
Basketball - Men's: A player must participate in at least 220 minutes in the aggregate of at least six conference games or games with schools of equivalent grade.
Basketball - Women's: Any basketball player who has fulfilled all the following minimum requirements:
- Demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship, and exemplary conduct.
- Earns a place on the traveling squad of fifteen players or less as selected by the coaching staff.
- Participates in all practices unless ill or injured.
- Participates in all team activities throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury or circumstances beyond the player's control.
Cross Country - Women's: Any cross country runner who has fulfilled all of the following requirements and has demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship, and exemplary behavior shall receive a letter award:
- Must participate in practice throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury, or similar extenuating circumstances beyond the participant's control.
- Participate in the NCAA national championships, OR the Big 12 Championship meet, OR place in the top 50 percent of total runners in the Big 12 Conference Championship meet.
- Participate in 75 percent of the season's scheduled meets. Special consideration for lettering awards may be made in unusual circumstances, even if all the above requirements are not fully met.
Diving - Women's: Any diver who has fulfilled the following requirements and has demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship and exemplary behavior:
- Participates in 80 percent of practices, and
- Participates in 50 percent of competitive events, and
- Scores points at the Big 12 Conference Championships, or
- Qualifies for the NCAA National Championships, or
- Wins an event in dual competition.
- Special consideration for lettering awards may be made in unusual circumstances, even if the above stated requirements are not fully met.
Football: A player must participate for at least 65 minutes in the aggregate of three or more games with conference schools or schools of equivalent grade.
Golf - Men's: A letter award is given to any contestant who has achieved any of the following:
- An individual winner or runner-up in the Big 12 Championship,
- An individual winner of the Massingale Cup (University championship);
- An individual winner or runner-up in the NCAA Championship; or
- Played in 1/5 of the competitive rounds listed on the golf schedule.
Golf - Women's: Any golfer who contributed to the team's success through cooperation, dedication, loyalty, academic achievement, and exemplary behavior, and who has met the following requirements:
- The golfer must participate in at least one official collegiate tournament.
- The student-athlete must participate in practice throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury or similar extenuating circumstances beyond the participant's control.
Rowing: Any rower who has fulfilled all of the following minimum requirements:
- The individual must participate in all practices and team meetings unless prevented by illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances.
- Contribute to the team's success through cooperation, loyalty, academic achievements and exemplary behavior.
- Participate as a member of the team in at least two official Spring Regattas.
Soccer: Any soccer player who has fulfilled all of the following minimum requirements:
- Demonstrated service to team, spirit, scholarship, and exemplary conduct.
- Participates in all practices and at least eight regular season games unless ill, injured or excused by the coach.
- Participates in all team activities throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury or circumstances beyond the player's control. Special consideration for lettering awards may be made in unusual circumstances even if the above stated requirements are not fully met.
Swimming/Diving - Men's: A swimmer must make the 20-member conference team or participate in the NCAA's team championship. An exception may be made by the head coach for a swimmer who becomes ill and is unable to participate in either the Big 12 or NCAA team, as long as the total number of letters awarded does not exceed 24.
Swimming - Women's: Any swimmer who has fulfilled the following minimum requirements and has demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship and exemplary behavior:
- Participation in all practices and a minimum of 50 percent of all regular-season meets unless ill or injured and qualify for Big 12 or NCAA Championship or achieve NCAA time standards.
Tennis - Men's: A letter award is given to any contestant who has accomplished any of the following:
- Represented The University in the NCAA Championships in singles and/or doubles;
- Represented The University in the Big 12 Championships in singles and/or doubles;
- Represented The University for the Big 12 Team Championship against at least three conference opponents; or
- Represented The University against at least 50 percent of the Big 12 and/or non-conference schools of comparable class played.
Tennis - Women's: Any tennis player who has fulfilled any of the following minimum requirements and has demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship, and exemplary behavior:
- A member of a team that participates in the NCAA National Championships.
- A member of the Big 12 Championship team.
- Winner or runner-up in any tournament.
- Participate as a member of the team in at least two official regular season tournaments.
- The student-athlete must participate in practice throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury or similar extenuating circumstances beyond the participant's control.
Track/Cross Country - Men's: Any contestant qualifies who has achieved any of the following accomplishments:
- Placed first, second, or third in the Big 12 Conference meet.
- Placed among the top five Texas finishers when the team: - Wins the Big 12 Championships,
- Any individual scoring 10 or more points in a season based upon the following:
Place 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-25
a. Three teams or fewer 2 1
b. Four to eight teams 4 5 2
c. Nine or more teams 5 4 3 2
d. Big 12 & District 6 10 5 4 3
e. NCAA All-American or finishes in the Top 50 in the NCAA National Championship.
- Places first or second at the NCAA District 6 Meet; or
- Places in the Top 20 at the NCAA National Championships.
Track & Field - Men's: Any contestant qualifies who has fulfilled any of the following requirements:
- Scored in an individual event, or was a member of a relay team that placed in the top three places in the Big 12;
- Scored an accumulation of 18 points in dual, triangular, quadrangular, five-way meets, conference, relays, or other major sectional meets. In cases where the team is split between major and minor meet, the point scoring for the minor meet is at one-half the normal scoring as listed below:
a. Scoring in individual events is based upon the following:
Conference Meet 10-8-6-4-2-1
Dual Meet 5-3-1
Triangular Meet 5-3-2-1
Quadrangular Meet 5-3-2-1
Five-way Meet 6-4-2-1
Relays ~ Major Sectional Meets 10-8-6-4-2-1
b. Scoring in relay events is based upon the team score as follows:
Number of Teams 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
2 5 0
3 5 3 0
4 5 3 2 0
5 6 4 3 2
6 10 8 6 4 2
7+ 10 8 6 4 2 1
The individual scoring for relay events under this rating system is divided by four. - An athlete makes "All-American" in the NCAA national meet.
Track & Field - Women's: Any competitor who has fulfilled all of the following requirements and demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship, and exemplary behavior shall receive a letter award:
- Must participate in practice throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury, or similar extenuating circumstances beyond the participant's control.
- Qualify for the NCAA National Championships or be a scorer in the Big 12 Championship Meet.
Volleyball: Any volleyball player who has fulfilled all of the following minimum requirements:
- Demonstrated service to the team, spirit, scholarship and exemplary behavior.
- Attends all scheduled practices unless excused by the coach.
- Earns a place on the traveling squad as selected by the coaching staff.
- Participates in all team activities throughout the entire season unless prohibited from doing so by illness, injury or similar extenuating circumstances beyond the player's control.
Athletic Trainers: Student athletic trainers who have fulfilled the following minimum requirements are eligible for awards:
- Participated in the student-trainer program throughout the entire academic year.
- Demonstrated skill in athletic training techniques.
- Demonstrated responsible judgment in the treatment of the athletic injuries.
- Demonstrated an adequate time commitment to student-trainer responsibilities.
Managers - Men's and Women's: In recognition of their valuable service, managers are awarded at the discretion of the head coach.
Special Merit Award: Any athlete who has not fulfilled the above requirements for a Varsity "T" Award may be granted a special merit award by the vote of the Athletics Council, if in the opinion of the coach he or she is deemed worthy of such an award. Very few of these awards are presented. This award is only given to a senior or a student-athlete in the following situation(s):
- Eligibility will expire;
- Has been injured, ill, continued to work-out regularly for the entire four years, and contributed to the spirit of the team; or
- Has changed from a regular position to best serve the team.
