The TCU Student Government Association gave the athletics department two companion flags so that all four student sections at Amon G. Carter stadium could be covered by purple flags. (photo by Peter Matthews for Ellman Photography)

TCU Rangers haul the flag along the sidelines in an industrial laundry bin, and after the game, they unfurl the 90-foot-wide banner on the basketball court at Schollmaier Arena before folding it for wrinkle-free storage.

The banner was at the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl, where it was scheduled for a second-quarter appearance. When the Frogs fell behind early in the game, the call was made to return the unused flag to the equipment truck. In the midst of the football team’s epic comeback, Drew Martin, associate athletics director, reconsidered the call. “We sprinted back to the bus, which at the Alamodome is not very close, hauled it out on the field, grabbed the Rangers, grabbed some cheerleaders and shoved it up in the stands right near the end of the game … saying, ‘Well, we hope this thing is in the right direction.’”

Before the 2016 season, the TCU Student Government Association gave the athletics department two companion banners: “Riff Ram Bah Zoo” and “Give ’em Hell TCU.” The reason? Students occupy four sections of the stadium, and all of them wanted to take part in the unfolding ritual.

–Caroline Collier