SEC slaps Texas with stiff fine for debris-slinging episode

The 2024 college football season has featured fabulous storylines (e.g., undefeated service academy teams ) and tremendous, dramatic performances (e.g., Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty shattering rushing records). However, it has also been marred by dubious officiating . All of these attributes coalesced on Saturday evening when the Texas Longhorns hosted the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K. Royal (DKR) Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, before a record-setting crowd of 105,215 .

The stakes were high in a highly anticipated clash between two top-five teams loaded with NFL talent. Possible berths in the SEC Championship Game and 12-team CFP field were on the line.

Although the Bulldogs jumped out to a 23-0 lead, which they took into the locker room at halftime, the Longhorns began clawing their way back, narrowing the lead to 23-8 early in the third quarter and setting the stage for controversy and drama later in the quarter.

When Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw a pass intended for wide receiver Arian Smith , Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron deftly stepped in front of Smith, picked off the pass and returned the ball deep into Texas territory.

While the partisan Longhorns crowd erupted in delirium, the referees called defensive pass interference on Barron. Most neutral observers viewed the call as erroneous, and the DKR crowd lost its collective mind when it was announced.

What started with a single beverage container thrown onto the field quickly escalated into a barrage. Numerous articles of debris, mostly plastic bottles, rained down on the field. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian took to the field to implore the audience to stop, as play came to a stop.

Meanwhile, officials huddled to discuss the controversial call, and in an unusual, albeit apparently correct move, reversed the call. (It was not a replay reversal, as pass interference calls are not subject to replay review.) Ironically, were it not for the delay caused by the actions of the crowd, it seems unlikely that the officials would have conferred to reassess the pass interference call.

After the reversal, the Longhorns went on to score, narrowing the Bulldogs lead to 23-15.

Although Georgia controlled the fourth quarter and eventually secured a 30-15 victory, the controversial pass interference call/reversal and the crowd reaction it engendered have yielded ongoing fallout.

The SEC announced Sunday the imposition of a $250,000 fine against the University of Texas for the actions of the attendees in DKR Memorial Stadium.

Texas has apologized to Georgia for the debris-tossing incident.

A similar fine was assessed against the University of Tennessee when fans in Knoxville engaged in similar behavior in 2021.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey articulated the conference's justification for the heavy monetary penalty.

"The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event," Sankey said.