AUSTIN, Texas — High-ranking officials at the University of Texas have released a statement in response to fan behavior at UT's game against Georgia Saturday night.
The game was paused briefly in the third quarter after fans threw trash onto the field following a controversial defensive pass interference call.
University President Jay Hartzell, Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte condemned the behavior and apologized to Georgia players, coaches and fans, as well as the SEC for the display.
"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."
Shortly after the game ended, the SEC released a statement describing what prompted the controversial call.
"With 3:12 to play in the third quarter of the Georgia at Texas game, Texas intercepted a pass at the Texas 46-yard line and returned it to the Texas 9 yard line. Texas was flagged for committing defensive pass interference on the play which resulted in Georgia maintaining the ball with a first down.
The game officials gathered to discuss the play, which is permitted to ensure the proper penalty is enforced, at which time the calling official reported that he erred, and a foul should not have been called for defensive pass interference. Consequently, Texas was awarded the ball at the Texas 9 yard line.
While the original evaluation and assessment of the penalty was not properly executed, it is unacceptable to have debris thrown on the field at any time.
The disruption of the game due to debris being thrown onto the field will be reviewed by the Conference office related to SEC sportsmanship policies and procedures."
In response to the incident, the SEC fined the university $250,000 and will be tasked with finding the fans who threw anything onto the field and banning them from any Texas athletic events for the remainder of the academic year.
UT will also have to review its "Athletics Department game management procedures and alcohol availability policies to prevent a recurrence of Saturday night’s disruption," which will then have to be agreed upon by the SEC.
Additional details of the SEC's punishment and rules about fan behavior at games can be read about here.
The Longhorns lost the game 30-15