Ted Cruz brutally booed on ESPN before Texas college football game: ‘You suck!’

Senator Ted Cruz was mercilessly booed during the Texas Longhorns game on Saturday morning in Austin.

Cruz, a Texas Republican, appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” from the stadium to discuss the Protect College Sports Act, which would create federal guidelines for college athletics.

“What we have right now is chaos. There are no rules,” Cruz said, citing student-athlete gambling, repeated transfers, extended eligibility and inadequate compensation as examples.

Shortly after the interview began, however, boos from the crowd at the University of Texas at Austin stadium swelled, at times making it difficult to hear the senator.

At one point, numerous people chanted over and over in unison: “Ted, you suck!” Even some of the young sports enthusiasts standing just behind Cruz — who were visible on camera — joined in.

The Republican, though, continued discussing the proposed legislation despite the crowd’s loud sounds of disapproval. He claimed the bill, which is supported by some Democrats, will have enough votes to pass in the Senate.

Cruz, who mounted an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2016 and has a new book out about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has faced similar public confrontations before.

In 2022, Cruz was booed and flipped off at Yankee Stadium in New York. Later that year, he drew a similar reaction from attendees at the Astros’ World Series victory parade in Houston, where he appeared to duck a beer can.

And in 2024, college football fans circulated a petition to keep Cruz away from Longhorns games, fearing the Republican senator’s attendance would curse their chances of victory. It racked up some 1,500 signatures.

Cruz, an outspoken defender of President Donald Trump, is next up for re-election in 2030.