Cardinals Set to Sing New Song and Welcome New Tradition
ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Introduces First-Ever Lyrics to Fight Song
San Antonio, October 16, 2019 – With every touchdown and every victory, for years, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ fight song has played to chants of “U-I-W.” Still there was something missing. That will change this weekend. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is set to introduce lyrics to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ fight song. It will be sung for the first time ever at the Community Appreciation football game this Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 4 p.m. at Benson Stadium
When the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ football program played its first football game in 2009, the University borrowed the fight song of the University of Notre Dame. In 2015, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ worked with local composer Tommy Fry to create the music for its own unique fight song, titled Cardinal Fight, that has been used ever since. Now, after a year of work and with the help of Dr. Brett Richardson and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ student and Spirit Team member Nicolas Ramon, the music has lyrics that reflect the Cardinal spirit. The hope is that it will create a new tradition that will inspire all Cardinals for this game and every game going forward.
“After visiting with Dr. Richardson during the Fall 2014 banquet, I learned that the University did not have a fight song,” says Composer Tommy Fry. “To recognize Dr. Richardson’s efforts to build a band program at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, I wrote the music for the fight song and presented it to Dr. Richardson as my gift to him and the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ band.” Fry and his wife, Bobbye, are long-time supporters of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. Dr. Bobbye Fry currently serves as Special Assistant to the Vice President of Enrollment Services.
“This is truly a gift from our community, to our community,” says Dr. Brett Richardson, assistant professor and Cardinal Band director. “Everyone associated with this effort, music and lyrics, is part of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ family and to know that this song will be sung for decades to come is an unbelievable blessing for everyone involved.”
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community will get its first chance to see and sing the new words to the fight song when the Cardinals take on Lamar this Saturday.