With Texas joining the SEC next year, the conference has had to devise a new plan for a unique taunting motion directed at the Longhorns.
Indeed, opposing players reversing Texas’ horns up celebration into horns down has drawn ire from referees in the past. But SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid shared earlier this year how the conference plans to handle this gesture in the future.
Per Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, the way the horns down motion will be handled will depend on how it’s utilized. If it’s done directly to taunt a Texas player, it may result in an unsportsmanlike conduct call.
However, if it’s just done in celebration with other teammates, it doesn’t sound like the SEC will throw the flag.
John McDaid, SEC’s coordinator of officials, on penalizing for Horns down signal in ‘24: “Unsportsmanlike conduct needs to fit 1 of 3 categories: Is it taunting an opponent? Is it making a travesty of the game? Is it otherwise compromising our ability to manage the game? There’s…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 18, 2023
McDaid compared it to the Gator Chomp and Land Shark motions directed at Florida and Ole Miss, respectively, and how those are not always called even when directed at the opponent.
We’ll see how things go on Saturdays once Texas joins the SEC in 2024.