Texas’ Steve Sarkisian asks fans to use discretion after SEC fine

AUSTIN, Texas — Coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that the Texas Longhorns’ “passionate fan base” needs to use “better discretion” after the school was fined and threatened with further sanctions by the SEC.

Texas fans pelted the field with water bottles and trash in the third quarter of Saturday night’s loss to Georgia after an apparent pass interference penalty against the Longhorns. The game was briefly delayed for cleanup before the penalty was ultimately reversed.

Sarkisian went on the field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to implore fans to stop throwing things.

“I know that we’ve got a passionate fan base, and I think that showed Saturday night,” Sarkisian said Monday. “I think we all were a little upset in that moment. I just think that we’ve all got to use a little better discretion in moments like that.

“We don’t want that to be the narrative that that’s what DKR is all about. It was too good of a football game for that to be the focal point of it all. I think in the end they got it [the penalty reversal] right.”

Even actor Matthew McConaughey, a graduate of the school and the university’s “Minister of Culture,” had a message for Longhorns fans after Saturday’s incident.

“Let’s get real about the bottle bombing the field glitch we had,” McConaughey posted to X. “Not cool. Bogey move. Yeah, that call was BS, but we’re better than that. Longhorn Nation knows how to show up, show out like no other, and still keep our class.

“So, going forward let’s clean that kind of BS up and leave that behind us for good. We have to shake hands on that.”

School administrators and SEC officials condemned the fans’ acts Sunday.

The SEC fined Texas $250,000 and said the school must meet requirements assigned by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey that include using available resources to find and suspend fans who threw debris, review alcohol availability policies and provide a report of the school’s findings to the SEC.

The SEC did not suspend Texas’ alcohol sales, but the league said it can do so if the Longhorns don’t meet those requirements.

Texas issued a joint statement from board of regents chairman Kevin Eltife, UT president Jay Hartzell and athletic director Chris Del Conte that condemned the bottle throwing and apologized to Georgia players and staff, the SEC, and game officials.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” the statement said. “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.”

Texas has not said what those steps will be.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.