Following No. 4 Texas' dramatic 24-23 victory over No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 12, 2026, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian abruptly ended an ESPN postgame interview. As ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe began her first question, Sarkisian shouted, "Go Texas, fight! Let’s go Texas, fight! Hook ’em,” before walking away to celebrate with his team.
This incident occurred after a separate interaction earlier in the game. In the first half, ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge attempted to interview Sarkisian during a technical difficulty. Sarkisian, facing a significant 20-3 deficit at the time, could not wait for the technical issues to be resolved and had to address his team. Rutledge later clarified that Sarkisian had been patient with the technical problems and had apologized for declining the interview, stating that ESPN should have apologized to him.
The postgame exchange between Sarkisian and Rowe quickly became a topic of online discussion, with social media focusing more on the interview interaction than the game's outcome. Rowe's name trended on X as users discussed the two separate instances involving ESPN reporters and the Texas coach during the highly anticipated matchup between the two college football powerhouses.