University of Texas at Austin fined $250k by SEC after fans throw trash on field during Georgia game

AUSTIN, Texas (KWTX) – The SEC announced they’re fining the University of Texas at Austin $250,000 after fans threw trash and other items on the field during Saturday’s game against Georgia.

During the third quarter of the Georgia and Texas football game at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, the game was delayed after fans threw items on the field.

“The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. 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 $250,000 fine, the SEC is requiring UT Austin to

• Use “all available resources” to identify the people who threw the items onto the field and prohibit those individuals from attending Texas athletic events for the rest of the 2024-25 season
• Review and update their Athletics Department game management procedures and alcohol availability polices which will include “an evaluation of agreed upon SEC Sportsmanship, Game Management and Alcohol policies to verify full compliance with existing standards”
• Following the review, UT Austin will provide a report to the Conference Office to “summarize its efforts to identify and penalize offenders and its plan to enact policies to prevent future similar incidents while ensuring compliance with Conference standards.”

The SEC said it is not suspending alcohol sales privileges for UT Austin at this time but reserves the right to do so if other requirements outlined are not met.

UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, UT President Jay Hartzell and Vice President and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte released a joint statement Sunday in regard to the fan behavior during the game.

The statement reads as follows:

“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. This type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Respect, sportsmanship, and fairness are the values that drive our program, and we expect all of our fans to uphold these standards. We are committed to fostering a positive environment for all participants, teams, officials and fans, and we will take steps to ensure that this type of behavior does not happen again.

We appreciate the support of Longhorn Nation and are confident that, moving forward, we will continue to represent our university with pride and respect.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”

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