Total number of Texas fans arrested and punished for throwing bottles during game against Georgia: zero
AUSTIN, Texas– The University of Texas investigation into bottle throwing incident that disrupted the Texas-Georgia game in October — and drew a harsh reprimand and fine from the Southeastern Conference — allowed no one to be arrested or punished.
In a report sent to the league last month, Texas officials said a video review did not identify any of the culprits.
Texas and Georgia meet Saturday in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Their first meeting in Austin, a victory for Georgia 30-15produced one of the most chaotic and controversial scenes of the college football season. Longhorns fans, upset about a pass interference penalty, threw debris onto the field and briefly stopped the game, giving officials time to regroup and overturn the call.
The incident attracted a $250,000 fine from SECwho also threatened to ban the sale of alcohol at future matches. The SEC ordered the school to find those responsible and ban them from all sporting events for the remainder 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 disruptive fans.
“Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to identify the individuals involved. We will take action if new identifying information is revealed,” Del Conte wrote.
The school’s report was provided to The Associated Press this week. A university spokesperson said he was not aware of any new information or sanctions 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 added additional security cameras and staff to monitor 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 adhere to these standards as well.”
The SEC did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
So-No. 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 threw bottles and debris onto the field and the game was interrupted for several minutes.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who was initially angry about the penalty, walked across the field to implore fans to stop throwing things while stadium crews cleaned up the damage.
The break gave game officials time to reconsider and overturn the penalty, a decision that infuriated Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Texas then cut Georgia’s lead to 23-15, before the Bulldogs later put together the decisive drive.
“I will say now we’ve set a precedent that if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and put athletes in danger, you have a chance to have your decision overturned,” Smart said after the game. “It’s unfortunate because it’s dangerous for me.”
Texas officials were embarrassed and the SEC was angry.
The league released a statement saying overturning the penalty was the good decisionbut condemned the bottle throwing. Critics wondered whether similar scenes might recur at 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.” . He asked the school to report its findings to the league.
Texas President Jay Hartzell warned students the investigation was coming. He said the incident “embarrassed the Longhorn Nation” and agreed with the SEC’s demands to find those responsible.
“Those involved will have consequences for their actions,” Del Conte wrote in a message to students on October 22.
The Texas football stadium has long had an emergency operations room where staff monitor live security cameras. In 2009, Texas I 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 being disruptive, or take note of unattended bags.
Fifteen years later, the report submitted to the SEC indicated that Texas could not identify anyone responsible for the debris throwing.
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 investigative efforts, led by Derek Trabon, director of the campus emergency management office. The investigation included assistance from game operations staff and campus police.
The report does not provide any details about the investigation, such as how much video was viewed, whether the cameras actually caught fans throwing objects or whether the school considered using facial recognition technology. The brief mention of the investigation does not explain why it was inconclusive.
“We take full responsibility for the actions of our fans and reiterate our apologies to the University of Georgia and the SEC,” Del Conte wrote.
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