Longhorn found dead outside Oklahoma State frat house ahead of Big 12 Championship against Texas

STILLWATER, Okla. - A longhorn steer was found dead on the lawn of an Oklahoma State University frat house just ahead of the school’s matchup against the University of Texas.

The two teams play Saturday in the Big 12 football championship at AT&T Stadium, but so far, police in Stillwater haven’t said whether the crime is at all connected to the game.

Police are still trying to track down who did this, a crime the university calls appalling.

The discovery happened Friday morning, outside the Farmhouse Fraternity off the Oklahoma State University campus.

The longhorn was not only dead, but also had a cut across its torso.

FarmHouse Fraternity says the carcass of the longhorn cow was found in the yard with, "a phrase referencing our chapter in an inappropriate manner."

Photos show the words "F*** FH" written on the animal.

The fraternity says, "It is disheartening to see the disregard for proper animal welfare and treatment displayed by this situation. To our knowledge, no FarmHouse member was involved in this incident, and we do not condone cruelty or defacing of livestock in any manner."

Oklahoma State University released a statement on Friday:

OSU is appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty that occurred overnight at an off-campus location near a fraternity house. The Stillwater PD is investigating the incident, and the university’s Office of Student Support and Conduct has initiated an investigation. 

Oklahoma State expects all students to adhere to university codes of conduct, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.

The discovery comes ahead of this weekend's Oklahoma State-Texas Big 12 Championship game this weekend.

At this time, police have not indicated if they believe the incident is connected to the game Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Warning: Some viewers may consider some of these photos disturbing

The story has drawn reactions from people across the country.

"That ain’t right," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on social media. "BIG mistake."

The situation is heartbreaking for animal welfare advocates and many others.

"I haven’t spoken to one person who isn’t outraged by this, it’s just shocking," said Jamee Suarez, president of the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals.

Suarez said the organization offers rewards in cases like this.

"I’m disgusted, I mean, I’ve seen pictures and people have messaged it to me all day," Suarez. "Immediately we have reached out to the Stillwater Police Department to offer our assistance if they should need any."

Anyone with information is asked to call Stillwater Police at 405-533-8477.