Recent claims have surfaced alleging that the University of Texas revoked scholarships from students who knelt during the national anthem in protest against racial injustice. However, thorough investigations by multiple fact-checking organizations have found no evidence to support these assertions
The controversy began with social media posts stating that all students who knelt during the national anthem were “rounded up and removed from scholarships” at the University of Texas. These claims were widely circulated but lacked credible sources or corroborating evidence. For instance, an August 20, 2024, Facebook post included images of women kneeling during the anthem, accompanied by the aforementioned claim. However, the images used were found to be unrelated to the University of Texas; one depicted the University of Tennessee’s women’s basketball team kneeling in 2021, and the other showed Kennesaw State University cheerleaders protesting in 2018.
Further scrutiny revealed that the narrative originated from a satirical website. In 2023, a satirical article falsely claimed that Texas had withdrawn scholarships from three football players for kneeling during the anthem. This story was clearly labeled as satire, and a university spokesperson confirmed its falsity. Despite this, the satirical piece was misinterpreted and shared as factual information across various platforms.
The NCAA’s 2024-25 Division I Manual outlines specific circumstances under which student-athletes can lose their scholarships, such as engaging in serious misconduct or voluntarily withdrawing from a sport. Notably, kneeling during the national anthem is not listed among these reasons.
It’s also important to consider the broader context of such protests. The act of kneeling during the national anthem was popularized by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick in 2016 as a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality. This form of protest has since been adopted by athletes across various levels and sports to draw attention to social issues
In summary, there is no credible evidence to support the claim that the University of Texas revoked scholarships from students who knelt during the national anthem. The narrative appears to have stemmed from satirical content that was misinterpreted and disseminated as fact. As always, it’s crucial to critically evaluate the sources of information and seek verification from reliable outlets before accepting and sharing such claims.
