History of “Saw ‘Em Off” Merchandise

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – There’s an old saying in Aggieland that’s part of the Texas Rivalry, and anyone who’s ever attended a Texas A&M sporting event has probably heard the verse “Saw varsity’s horns off” from the Aggie War Hymn heard.

This verse gave rise to the “Saw ‘Em Off” logo, designed by some Texas A&M students. However, it was ultimately sold to Fadi and Hege Kalaouze, the owners of Aggieland Outfitters. For decades, the logo has been an integral part of the store, which is the official license holder of “Saw ‘Em Off” merchandise.

“The rivalry was huge before and I am so happy that we are bringing it back,” said Fadi Kalaouze. “We thought it was great, it fit, you cut off the horns of the bad guys and we sawed off their horns, the horns were sawed off, it was perfect.”

However, there was a time when they had to fight for it. After a 38-30 win over the Longhorns at Kyle Field, Aggieland Outfitters faced a lawsuit from the University of Texas to stop them from using the logo. Kalazouze refused to give in and fought to keep the tradition alive.

“We were in dispute with them, back and forth, for almost six months, and finally we came to terms with minor changes and then we were able to trademark the logo,” Kalaouze explained. “We own the logo now. We own the Saw ‘Em Off trademark.

They weren’t the only ones fighting back. The Aggie community came out in full force to show their support, Kalazouze told KBTX.

“We made a T-shirt that said ‘Save the Tradition,’ so we basically did ‘Saw ‘Em Off,’ ‘Save the Tradition,’ and a lot of people came,” Kalazouze said. “We sold the shirts for $20 back then and sold almost 5,000 shirts to keep the tradition alive.”

There is no longer a shortage of goods today. Everything from shirts to hats, foam fingers, footballs and even beer can be found.

Because of the community’s support during the legal battle with the University of Texas, Aggieland Outfitters created an annual “Saw ‘Em Off” scholarship that provides $12,000 to students. This number should represent the 12th man. A portion of sales from “Saw ‘Em Off” products goes toward a fund for this scholarship.

“We started by donating $6,000 each semester to a scholarship in the name of Saw ‘Em Off. Now we have changed the monthly amount and are now donating $1,000 per month towards the scholarship,” Kalazouze added.

With the rivalry renewed, Aggieland Outfitters said they are ready to see the Aggies “Saw ‘Em Off” on Saturday and in the future.

“I love it,” Kalazouze explained. “It’s like any sporting rivalry. I’m so glad they brought it back. We have to keep it decent, we have to keep the rivalry moderate, but also we love bringing it back here and seeing who wins every year.”

If you would like to learn more about the history of “Saw ‘Em Off” or view the merchandise, you can click on the relevant links.

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