SEC slaps Texas with massive $250,000 fine for fan misconduct after controversial call against Georgia

The SEC has fined Texas a sum of $250,000 following an incident during Saturday night's game against Georgia, where fans threw objects onto the field. This incident occurred in the second half of the game after a Jahdae Barron interception was called for defensive pass interference.

While the call was subsequently reversed in favor of Texas following consultation among the officials, the fans had a violent reaction to the initial call. This disciplinary action by the SEC comes in response to the breach of the conference's sportsmanship policies, underscoring the league’s stance on fan behavior.

“The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement.

“The SEC is assigned responsibility by its membership to enforce its sportsmanship and game management policies and these actions are consistent with that oversight responsibility, including the financial penalty and mandated reviews.”

In addition to the fine, the university has been instructed to identify individuals involved in throwing objects onto the field during the game on Saturday night. Those found responsible will be banned from attending all Longhorns sporting events for the remainder of the school year.

Texas apologizes for fan behavior while Georgia questions the call

Texas issued an apology on Sunday for the behavior of its fans on Saturday night. The university’s Board of Regents chairman Kevin Eltife, president Jay Hartzell, and athletic director Chris Del Conte jointly released a statement, apologizing to Georgia, game officials, and the SEC.

“While we deeply appreciate the passion and loyalty of our fan base at The University of Texas at Austin, we do not condone the unsportsmanlike conduct that was exhibited by some individuals throwing objects onto the field during last night's game and sincerely apologize to the University of Georgia players, coaches, and fans, as well as the Southeastern Conference and officiating crew," the statement said.

However, Georgia is still struggling to come to terms with the reversal of the defensive pass interference call, which has continued to be debated by fans and media. Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks expressed his frustration about the decision on X on Sunday morning.

"What I cannot accept is the manner in which this specific call was reversed," Brooks wrote. "The official claimed he erred in the call. My question is when did he realize the error? 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 and spotted the ball?"

Texas went on to score a touchdown following the reversal of the original call. However, it became irrelevant as Georgia responded with a touchdown in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 30–15. The Bulldogs held on to the score to hand the Longhorns their first loss of the 2024 season.