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CFB Fans React to SEC Decision on Texas Mascot Bevo Attending Championship Game

The beloved longhorn won't be making the trip to Atlanta this weekend.

Madison Williams

Texas mascot Bevo walks out before a game.
Texas mascot Bevo walks out before a game. / Brett Patzke-Imagn Images
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Texas's beloved mascot Bevo, a real-life longhorn, will not be making the trip alongside the football team to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game vs. Georgia on Saturday after the SEC denied Texas's request.

Bevo will not be traveling with the team because of the limited sideline space at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to the league.

"When we received the request for Bevo to be on the sideline in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, our staff looked at several alternatives including the sideline location," the SEC said in a statement. The reality is there is limited sideline space at the stadium.  We can’t jeopardize the safety of Bevo or the game participants.  With the narrow sidelines, location of multiple sets for television and camera carts, there is not enough space. While we want to honor tradition across the conference, the space limitation is a reality."

The national title game is also held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January, so if Texas reaches that game, Bevo still won't be able to attend.

However, Georgia's real-life mascot Uga the bulldog will be in attendance for the big game. Many college football fans thought it would be the first time the two mascots would meet since the controversial moment at the 2019 Sugar Bowl when Bevo charged through a barricade towards Uga. A photographer for the Austin American-Statesman later sued Bevo's handlers after suffering neck and back injuries from the incident.

Some college fans let their opinions be heard about the SEC excluding Bevo from this weekend's game. Take a look at some of the reactions.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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