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Guns Up is the famous slogan and hand signal of Texas Tech University. The slogan and hand signal are used by students and alumni as a school-spirited greeting. It is also used as a celebratory sign during athletic events.

The gesture

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The gesture is made from a closed hand by extending the index finger forward and the thumb up. It is meant to resemble the shape of a gun, like those carried by the university's mascots, The Masked Rider and Raider Red.^[1] The idea is that the Red Raiders will figuratively shoot down their opponents.^[2]

History

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Hand signals were an important part of the traditions of the schools in the Southwest Conference. Invention of "Guns Up" is attributed to 1961 Texas Tech alumnus, L. Glenn Dippel. Living in Austin with his wife Roxie, Dippel created "Guns Up" as a way to counter the "Hook 'em Horns" handsign he saw each day from fans of the Texas Longhorns.^[3]

Dippel experimented some before looking to the Raider Red mascot for inspiration. In 1971, he and some other Tech fans made decals with the phrase "Gun 'em Down". Shortly thereafter, Dippel shared the idea with the Saddle Tramps spirit organization who began using the hand signal immediately.^[3]

According to Southeastern Louisiana University Athletic Director Jay Artigues, the "Guns Up" cheer and gesture are the inspiration for the "Lion Up" cheer and gesture adopted in 2014 by the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.^[4]

References

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^ Texas Tech University :: Campus Information :: History & Traditions :: Guns Up
^ "Texas Tech University: History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
^ ^a ^b Burka, Paul. "Football Hand Signals". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on 2001-07-16.
^ Artigues, Jay (2014-08-29). "Luncheon address". Hammond Chamber of Commerce. Hammond, Louisiana.

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NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

Texas Tech University

Located in: Lubbock, Texas

Academics

Athletics

Teams	Baseball Red Raider basketball Lady Raider basketball Cross Country Football Golf Soccer Softball Track and Field
Facilities	Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park Fuller Track John Walker Soccer Complex Jones AT&T Stadium Lubbock Municipal Coliseum The Rawls Course United Supermarkets Arena

Campus

Media

People

Research

Student life

Traditions

Established: 1923
Endowment: $3.06 billion (2024)
Students: 40,969 (Fall 2024)

Guns Up

The gesture

History

See also

References