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Number of Texas fans caught, punished for throwing bottles in Georgia game: Zero

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Number of Texas fans caught, punished for throwing bottles in Georgia game: Zero


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.


What You Need To Know

  • 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

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.

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“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.

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The scene

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.”

The response

Texas officials were embarrassed, and the SEC was angry.

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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 investigation

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.

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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.



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Austin, TX

Austin, TX, Proves It’s a Ski Town at Ikon Pass Stoke Night – SnowBrains

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Austin, TX, Proves It’s a Ski Town at Ikon Pass Stoke Night – SnowBrains


Austin Loro Stoke
Austin skier Ricky Stillwell and his son are stoked to be heading to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Alyeska this coming season. | Photo: Bob Witowski

You might ask, “Why is there an Ikon Pass Stoke Event in Austin, Texas?” 

Fact: There are more skiers and snowboarders in Texas than in Colorado. According to a 2017 Snowsports Industry Association study, Texas is home to roughly 800,000 skiers and riders, compared to Colorado’s 500,000. That impressive number puts Texas third in the nation for total ski and snowboard participants, behind only California and New York. Texans alone make up about 6% of all U.S. ski and snowboarders. And the proof is on the slopes: Ski areas in Colorado and New Mexico report that a staggering 70% of their out-of-state visitors hail from the Lone Star State. Yes—the legend of Texans being everywhere on the mountain is absolutely true.

Fact: Every Texan who skis is a destination skier. With no local ski resorts that are a quick Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City or short interstate drive away, Texans go big: they travel, stay longer, and spend more at Ikon Pass Destinations. As Kristin Rust, Vice President of Communications for Alterra Mountain Company, puts it, “Texas is a huge market, and Austin has a great number of pass holders.” With Ikon Pass offering such a wide network of resorts, and Texas home to so many skiers, Austin is a natural place for a Stoke Event.

This year’s Ikon Pass Stoke Event took place at Loro, the wildly popular South Lamar hangout blending Asian smokehouse flavors with laid-back Austin vibes. The gathering drew a lively crowd of local Ikon Pass holders. Guests enjoyed a spread of standout dishes—Oak-Grilled Edamame, Wonton Chips and Dip, Arugula & Melon Salad, and Oak-Smoked Brisket—paired with beer, wine, soft drinks, and Austin-meets-après cocktails like an Old Fashioned and, of course, the non-traditional slope-side margarita, a playful nod to Jimmy Buffett and the city where Margaritaville was written.

Austin Loro StokeAustin Loro Stoke
Adam, Kailee, and Darius leaning into the Austin ski vibe and good times at Loro in Austin. | Photo: Bob Witowski

Attendance was strong, and the outdoor, under-the-oaks setting added an easy, welcoming feel. The energy was high as skiers swapped plans for upcoming trips to Ikon Pass destinations including SkiBig3 in Banff, Jackson Hole, Killington, the six Utah resorts on the pass, and the perennial “home resorts” for Texans—those in Colorado and New Mexico. Members of Austin Skiers, the city’s long-standing ski and travel club, were out in force and buzzing about club trips to the Ikon Pass resorts of Snowmass, Mt. Bachelor, SkiBig3, and Steamboat.

Austin Loro Ikon Pass StokeAustin Loro Ikon Pass Stoke
Austin Skiers—Joyce, Ann, Crystal, Bob, Susie, and Stuart—are buzzing with excitement as they get ready to chase fresh snow at their favorite Ikon Pass destinations this season. | Photo: Bob Witowski

A major hit of the night was the CMH Heli-Skiing virtual-reality experience, a full 3D immersion complete with helicopter-ride visuals of the Canadian Rockies and a run down untouched powder with a small ski group. Riders found themselves carving turns, watching skiers float past, and looking up, down, and across the alpine terrain—an astonishingly vivid taste of what a heli-ski trip feels like. The CMH station stayed packed all evening.

Austin Loro StokeAustin Loro Stoke
CMH Heli Skiing’s Virtual Reality experience amped up the stoke and had everyone dreaming of deep turns this season. | Photo: CMH Heli Skiing, Fox Wang

The night wrapped up with a spirited swag giveaway, where lucky attendees scored prizes including Yeti mugs, a coveted Shot-Ski, and an Ikon Pass. What a great way to top off a fantastic night!

In the end, the Ikon Pass Stoke Event proved to be a fantastic celebration of Austin’s vibrant ski community—a chance to meet fellow snow lovers, swap stories, and get excited about the season ahead. For one night, Austin truly became a “Ski Town.”

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Austin, TX

Southwest Airlines establishing new crew base in Austin

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Southwest Airlines establishing new crew base in Austin


AUSTIN, Texas (KVIA) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Southwest Airlines will establish a new pilot and flight attendant crew base in Austin.

Abbott joined the Austin mayor at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to make the announcement today.

The expansion to Austin will lay the groundwork for future operational growth in Texas. It is expected to generate 2,000 jobs in Austin by mid-2027. In addition to the pilots and flight attendants, Austin will now also be home to managerial and support staff. The new crew base will have an average salary of $180,000 a year, the Governor’s Office says.

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The state is extending a $14 million Texas Enterprise Fund to the airline, as well as a $375,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus.

“Southwest Airlines was born and raised in Texas and has been a core element of the economic growth we have seen in our state,” said Governor Abbott. “We are excited to announce that today Southwest Airlines will add over 2,000 high paying jobs right here in Texas. We are the home of economic opportunity for our fellow Texans more than any other state in the United States, and we know a key reason for that is because of everything Southwest Airlines provides. We are proud to partner with everybody connected with Southwest as well as the City of Austin on such a huge announcement for our state.”



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Austin, TX

Fire destroys abandoned E Austin auto shop

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Fire destroys abandoned E Austin auto shop


Austin firefighters battled their second major fire Thursday afternoon, responding to an abandoned East Austin auto shop engulfed in flames.

Crews responded to 3100 Manor Road around 4 p.m., AFD said.

No injuries were reported and no one was inside the building.

ALSO | 40+ residents displaced in North Austin third-alarm apartment fire, no injuries reported

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The incident was called in as a first alarm. The building is a total loss, according to officials.

CBS Austin has a crew on the way to the scene.

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Earlier in the afternoon, firefighters extinguished a three-alarm fire in north Austin.

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