College football fans are back to throwing trash on the field a week after the SEC rewarded the Texas Longhorns fans for littering the field. Last week, SEC officials handed Texas a favorable (and albeit correct) call against the Georgia Bulldogs after a delay caused by trash on the field.
The timing of the reversal of the pass interference call against Texas is what caused outrage from Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. Officials changed the call after the lengthy delay, which served as a reward for the Texas fans that elected to throw trash. The decision to reverse the penalty was unprecedented and now the rest of college football is facing consequences as a result.
It should come as no surprise that other fan bases repeated the unsportsmanlike behavior after seeing it getting rewarded in a primetime, national television game. This week, Colorado fans threw objects on the field after a touchdown was called back due to taunting. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders took to the microphone to address the stadium and get fans to stop.
In Week 9, Colorado was not the only offenders. Ohio State Buckeyes fans threw bottles and more on the field after a controversial targeting call against Nebraska. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day screamed and complained to officials following the call to no avail. In both cases, the officials did not change their minds after the home fans put pressure on them.
This unruly behavior is exactly what happens after the SEC set the precedent for changing a call after fans threw trash on the field last week. Yes, fans that threw bottles face consequences and the schools are punished, but the SEC officials’ decision to change the call in the Georgia-Texas game is simply something you almost never see in sports and served as an avenue to convince fans they can influence the decision on a critical penalty.