SEC Coordinator of Officials Addresses If 'Horns Down' vs. Texas Will Be Penalized

As Texas prepares for its first season in the SEC, the "Horns Down" taunt may not result in an automatic penalty like it did in the Big 12.

SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid addressed how the conference will handle the taunt during SEC media days on Tuesday:

"We're going to read the context in which it's done. I ask my officials to use the judgment of, is it taunting an opponent, is it making a travesty of the game, or is it otherwise affecting our ability to manage the game?

"If an opponent of Texas scores a touchdown and in celebration with their teammate going back up the sideline, gives the signal, that's not an issue. … If he tackles a player and stands over him and gives it, then we've got taunting, then we've got unsportsmanlike conduct."

The Big 12 introduced a taunting penalty specifically for the "Horns Down" gesture when an opposing player directed it toward a Texas player, coach or fan in 2019.

Big 12 officials coordinator Greg Burks continued to emphasize the rule over the years when he spoke publicly, though he indicated there could be some leeway depending on the situation.

"Lemme put it this way," Greg Burks said in 2021. "If you do a Horns Down to a Texas player as an opponent, that's probably going to be a foul."

The gesture would result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The SEC doesn't have a specific taunting penalty for mocking another team's gestures, but there are instances when players or teams have been flagged for such incidents. Players have been called for unsportsmanlike penalties for mocking Florida's gator chomp or Mississippi's land shark.

It won't be long before we get to find out how seriously the SEC will treat the "Horns Down" gesture. The Longhorns will open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Colorado State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.