Texas is heading into the 2026 season with expectations already hanging over the program, and Steve Sarkisian made it clear in Tampa that the standard inside the building is not changing.
At SEC Media Days, held at Tampa’s Marriott Water Street Hotel, Sarkisian opened by talking about what the Longhorns are chasing and how the outside noise compares to the internal bar.
"There's a lot to be proud of for us at the University of Texas. But I will say this at the University of Texas.
The standard is the standard. The standard is the standard.
And I know the expectations are high outside of our building. I know everybody wants to say what percentage we are to make the playoffs or what percentage it is for us to win a conference championship or make the CFP or be a national champion.
But expectations are always high within our organization. They're higher than you would imagine.
They're higher than they are on the outside world."
Texas was represented at the event by Sarkisian, redshirt junior quarterback Arch Manning, junior EDGE Colin Simmons and redshirt junior left tackle Trevor Goosby.
Before he went to the podium for the public portion of his availability, Sarkisian also spoke with a small group of local reporters at the nearby JW Marriott Hotel. Horns247’s Eric Henry and Chip Brown were among those in that off-podium session.
The broader setting in Tampa marked the unofficial start of the countdown to the 2026 college football season, with SEC Media Days providing the backdrop for Texas’ first major public message of the year.
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