The Story Behind How Texas Tech's 'Guns Up' Sign Was Born - kkam.com

Dippel came up with the idea more than 55 years ago while living in Austin, surrounded by University of Texas fans and their "Hook 'em Horns" sign everywhere he went. He wanted something that belonged to Texas Tech alone.

That desire turned into one of the most recognizable traditions in college sports. Anyone who has sat in the stands at a Texas Tech home game knows the gesture instantly. It works as a rally cry, a victory signal, and shorthand for pride in the university, all rolled into one simple hand motion.

For people in Lubbock, "Guns Up" is bigger than football or basketball season. It shows up in graduation photos, wedding pictures, and casual greetings between strangers wearing Texas Tech gear anywhere in the country. The sign gives generations of alumni a shared language that doesn't need explaining, whether they're at United Supermarkets Arena or hundreds of miles from the South Plains.

Today, a Red Raider frustrated by another school's hand sign accidentally built a tradition that now belongs to an entire university.