Texas is facing financial consequences for the actions of its fans during the Longhorns’ loss to Georgia Saturday night.
Texas fans threw objects on the field with less than three minutes left in the third quarter after officials called a pass interference call on Jahdae Barron after Barron made an interception. The SEC announced Sunday that Texas would be fined $250,000 and anyone who threw anything on the field would be banned from attending a sporting event in Texas for the rest of the school year.
“The throwing of debris and the resulting stoppage of play that occurred Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “The SEC is assigned the responsibility by its members to enforce its sportsmanship and game administration policies and these actions are consistent with that oversight responsibility, including the financial penalties and mandatory assessments.”
The situation was one of the most bizarre penalty kick cases in recent college football history. While the field was cleared of debris, the officials deliberated and decided that the pass interference penalty should be rescinded and Texas should keep the ball. The Longhorns scored two plays later to cut Georgia’s lead to 23-15, but the Bulldogs ultimately won 30-15.
In the hours after the game, Georgia administrators said they wanted answers from the SEC about the process of overturning the call. In a statement on social media, athletics director Josh Brooks said he wanted to know when officials realized the call was wrong.
It is my privilege and duty to serve the University of Georgia and part of that responsibility is to advocate for my coaches, student-athletes, staff and all of Dawg Nation.
As proud as I am of our team’s determination, I am equally disappointed and frustrated in some of…
— Josh Brooks (@Brooks_UGA) October 20, 2024
“What I cannot accept is the manner in which this particular call was reversed,” Brooks wrote. “The referee claimed he made a mistake during the call. My question is when did he realize the mistake? If it was before the delay that occurred due to fans throwing objects on the field, what stopped him before the head official made the announcement did and the ball?”
The SEC said there are other guidelines Texas must meet as part of the punishment for the objects thrown on the field. If the conference does not find that Texas is not sufficiently complying with these obligations, it has the right to revoke the school’s authority to sell alcohol at sporting events.
