Texas has permanently banned a fan from attending Longhorns home football games after he was seen flipping off several Florida Gators players in Austin on Saturday.
The Longhorns suffered their second consecutive loss in Week 7, with the Gators pulling off a 27-24 upset. Shortly after the final whistle, a fan wearing Texas gear was caught on video flipping off Florida players as they left the field.
The fan was holding up his own phone behind his middle finger and documenting the scene himself while being filmed by FOX 7 video photographer Anthony Geronimo, who shared the video on X. Several Florida players walked after the fan, but any sort of altercation was avoided.
With the original video of the scene picking up over 3.5 million views, it made its way to the Texas athletic department, which has made it clear that it will not tolerate such behavior by banning the individual from future games at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
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“I want to address the video circulating on social media showing unacceptable behavior by an individual who had the privilege of field access following Saturday’s game,” Chris Del Conte, Vice President and Athletic Director, wrote in a statement published on the university’s website. “We pride ourselves on sportsmanship and treating our opponents with respect. This individual’s actions did not reflect those values or meet our standards and will not be tolerated.
“The matter has been addressed internally, and I want to personally apologize to the University of Florida and its entire football program. Having access to our field comes with a responsibility to represent Texas with class and respect. This individual failed to uphold that responsibility and has been permanently banned from Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.”
Fans flipping off players is not a rarity in the college football world, but a fan with field access walking over to opposing players and doing so is.
Texas welcomes No. 7 Ole Miss to town on Saturday in what is likely a must-win game for the Longhorns if they want to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Texas will enter Saturday night’s contest at 4-2 on the year, while the Rebels sit at 5-1.