AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The University of Texas investigation into the bottle-throwing incident that disrupted the Texas-Georgia game in October — and drew a harsh rebuke and fine from the Southeastern Conference — resulted in no one being caught or punished.
In a report to the league sent last month, Texas officials said a video review did not identify any of the culprits.
Texas and Georgia meet again Saturday in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Their first meeting in Austin, a 30-15 Georgia win, produced one of the most chaotic and controversial scenes of the college football season. Longhorns fans upset about a pass interference penalty pelted the field with debris and briefly stopped the game, giving the officials time to huddle and reverse the call.
The incident drew a $250,000 fine from the SEC, which also threatened to ban alcohol sales at future games. The SEC ordered the school to find those responsible and ban them from all athletic events for the rest of the school year.
In a Nov. 7 report to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said the school “reviewed all available video and other sources of information” to try to find the disruptive fans.
“Despite our best effort, we have not been able to identify the individuals at issue. We will take action if new identifying information comes to light,” Del Conte wrote.
The school’s report was provided to The Associated Press this week. A university spokesman said he was unaware of any new information or punishments since it was sent to the SEC. Del Conte did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
Del Conte told the SEC that Texas has added additional security cameras and personnel to watch the student section, updated its sportsmanship and fan code of conduct policies, and created digital messaging to encourage good behavior.
“Respect, sportsmanship and fairness are values that drive us,” Del Conte wrote. “We expect fans to uphold these standards as well.”
The SEC did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
Then-No. 1 Texas trailed No. 5 Georgia 23-7 when a pass interference call negated a Longhorns interception. Angry fans in or near the student section lobbed bottles and debris on the field and the game was halted for several minutes.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who at first was angry about the penalty, crossed the field to plead with the fans to stop throwing things while stadium crews cleaned up the mess.
The break gave the game officials time to reconsider and reverse the penalty, a decision that infuriated Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Texas then cut the Georgia lead to 23-15, before the Bulldogs later put together the game-clinching drive.
“I will say that now we’ve set a precedent that if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes that you’ve got a chance to get your call reversed,” Smart said after the game “That’s unfortunate because to me that’s dangerous.”
Texas officials were embarrassed, and the SEC was angry.
The league issued a statement that reversing the penalty was the correct decision, but condemned the bottle throwing. Critics wondered if similar scenes could happen again in the SEC or elsewhere, sarcastically noting the Texas slogan, “What starts here changes the world.”
The SEC ordered Texas to investigate using “all available resources, including security, stadium and television video, to identify individuals who threw objects onto the playing field or at the opposing team.” It told the school to report its findings to the league.
Texas President Jay Hartzell warned students the probe was coming. He said the incident had “embarrassed Longhorn Nation,” and agreed with the SEC’s demands to find those responsible.
“Those involved will have ramifications for their actions,” Del Conte wrote in an Oct. 22 message to students.
The Texas football stadium has long had an emergency operations room where staff monitor live feeds from security cameras. In 2009, Texas invited the AP into the room where a reporter observed staff watching feeds from 43 cameras. They could see if fans were drinking alcohol (which was prohibited at the time) or disruptive, or take note of unattended bags.
Fifteen years later, the report to the SEC said Texas could not identify anyone responsible for throwing debris.
The 10-page report includes a review of stadium policies and the administration’s statements to students. It includes only a single paragraph about the investigation efforts, which were led by Derek Trabon, director of the campus Office of Emergency Management. The probe included help from game operations staff and campus police.
The report offers no investigation details, such as how much video was reviewed, whether cameras caught fans throwing things, or if the school considered using facial recognition technology. The brief mention of the investigation does not explain why it was inconclusive.
“We take full accountability for the actions of our fans and reiterate our apology to the University of Georgia and the SEC,” Del Conte wrote.
This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
We’ve created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is keeping track of the number of homicides in Austin.
As of Jan. 9, two homicides have been reported thus far in 2025.
Last year, 70 homicides were reported, down from 75 in 2023 and 71 in 2022. A record 88 homicides were reported in 2021.
The charts below will be updated as we learn new information. Scroll down for a map of where each homicide occurred.
The chart below shows how the number of homicides reported in recent years changed through the year.
Below is a map showing where homicides occurred in 2025. The map is interactive, so clicking on or hovering over a dot will reveal information about that incident. You can also click on a month in the top left to show only homicides that occurred during that month.
The chart below shows the number of homicides reported each month in 2025.
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Andrew (Andy) Maas as the new assistant vice president for technology transfer on the Discovery to Impact team, which works with world-class inventors, investors, creators and entrepreneurs to launch startups and collaborates with established businesses to accelerate new products, services, solutions and cures.
In this role, Maas will lead the University’s research commercialization and innovation initiatives and oversee the protection and commercialization of UT’s intellectual property. Reporting to Mark Arnold, associate vice president of Discovery to Impact and managing director of Texas Startups, Maas will ensure that the University’s innovations transition effectively from academic research to market applications that benefit society.
“Andy is nationally recognized for his expertise in technology licensing and commercialization, and we are pleased to welcome a leader of his caliber to the team,” Arnold said. “We have an ambitious agenda for Discovery to Impact this year — to invest early and strategically in faculty ideas and inventions that will change the world — and there is no doubt that Andy is the right person to help lead the charge.”
Maas joins UT from Louisiana State University, where he most recently served as associate vice president for research, overseeing the office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development.
Maas holds a B.S. from Brigham Young University, an M.S. from UT Austin, and a J.D. and LLM from The University of Akron.
During his career, Maas has built an engineering startup, led within the university and research foundation settings, and currently serves as the board chair of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) – the non-profit leader in supporting professionals in the technology commercialization and research innovation space. In addition, he was the principal investigator on a $160 million National Science Foundation Engine award focused on the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL). Maas has lectured all over the world about intellectual property valuation, economic impact, technology licensing and technology commercialization.
“This is a homecoming for me in many ways, and it’s a privilege and pleasure to be back on the Forty Acres,” Maas remarked. “Discovery to Impact is one of the premier research commercializing programs in the country, and I look forward to working alongside Mark and the team to propel our groundbreaking faculty ideas forward.”
TxDOT is working around the clock treating roadways as temperatures plummet in the Austin area.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Transportation is working around the clock treating roadways as temperatures plummet in the Austin area.
The agency is also offering assistance at no cost to stranded drivers through its “HERO program.”
“Our crews have been out there laying saltwater mixture, which is known as brine, and also a granular substance. That’s a magnesium chloride,” says TxDOT spokesperson Antonio Lujan.
TxDOT says employees are placing the brine on major highways in Austin and in surrounding areas.
“This includes I-35, SH 71, U.S. 183, 290 East going towards Manor and then towards Dripping Springs. Some of those smaller rural roads may not have brine or that granular substance in them,” says Lujan.
Central Texans have been busy preparing for Thursday’s cold weather and possible ice, especially in the Hill Country.
Temperatures reached below 40 degrees in Central Texas on Wednesday. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson addressed the public in a press conference on weather conditions and how the city is working to keep residents safe in their homes and on the streets.
“Keeping roads safe, keeping them as safe as possible, and continuing and continuing to deliver the critical services that our community depends on,” said Mayor Watson.
TxDOT says this means staying off the roads.
“Just because they’re drivable and treated does not mean passable. Because remember that depending on how low the temperatures do get, there might be some instances where you might have some ice accumulation,” says Lujan.
In the case a driver needs assistance on the roadways, TxDOT’S HERO program does offer several services in the Austin area.
“If you are broken down on the side of the road, we can help you out by changing your tire, jump-starting your car, pushing you off the road, getting you some gas. Our emergency first responders cover for them so they can do their job,” said a HERO PM Lead Operator.
“They’re out there monitoring our roads as we speak. They’re going to be out there working longer hours during the next couple of days to ensure that we are helping anyone who’s out there stranded. And the good thing about hero is that it’s at no cost,” Lujan
TxDOT says they plan to work around the clock until weather conditions return to normal.
For the HERO program or assistance, you can dial 512-974-HERO.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Tan Radford
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