Why is Matthew McConaughey a Texas fan? Hometown, college and more to know about Longhorns superfan

Actor Matthew McConaughey is known for his big-screen roles in blockbuster hits such as "Dazed and Confused," "Dallas Buyers Club" and "The Wolf of Wall Street." Impressions of McConaughey span far and wide as fans of the actor do their best versions of his " alright, alright, alright" line while also poking fun at his recent Lincoln car commercials .

Between shooting movies, McConaughey can often be found on the University of Texas sidelines cheering on the football team. He has even made an appearance as a guest picker for ESPN's "College GameDay" in support of his Longhorns.

The Sporting News explains why McConaughey is a Texas fan and his connection to the school.

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Why is Matthew McConaughey a Texas fan?

McConaughey was born in Uvalde, Texas, in 1969. He has spent most of his life in Texas, except for a year living in New South Wales, Australia, right before college.

McConaughey initially hoped to attend Southern Methodist University (SMU) but pivoted to UT-Austin when he looked at the tuition price of the private SMU.

McConaughey has deep roots in the Austin, Texas, community. He is a minority owner of the local MLS team, Austin FC, which began playing three years ago.

McConaughey and his wife Camila have three children and still live in Austin.

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Did Matthew McConaughey go to the University of Texas?

McConaughey attended UT-Austin from 1989 to 1993. He joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree focusing on Radio, Television and Film.

McConaughey became a visiting instructor for Texas in 2015 and was officially promoted to a professor of practice at the Moody College of Communication in 2019.

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Did Matthew McConaughey help Texas win a National Championship?

McConaughey is often on the Texas sidelines supporting the Longhorns, and occasionally, he will attend practice or speak with the team.

In a documentary about Texas' national championship in 2005 and from players' interviews, there was a story about his impact on the team ahead of the Longhorns' victory over Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl . McConaughey gave a pep talk that broke out into a motivational song players used to pick up a win over the Wolverines.