Bevo Won't Be Allowed at SEC Championship Game

Bevo XV won't be permitted to travel to the SEC Championship when the Texas Longhorns face the Georgia Bulldogs.

Zach Dimmitt | Dec 6, 2024

Nov 9, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns live mascot Bevo enters the field before a game against the Florida Gators at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns won't have their beloved mascot on-site for Saturday's SEC Championship against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Bevo XV isn't making the trip to Atlanta. The SEC said in a statement that there is "space limitation" on the sidelines at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, meaning the famous Longhorn won't have room for an enclosure.

Here's the SEC's statement, per ESPN:

"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, per ESPN. "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."

Bevo XV is the same Bevo involved in the now-infamous pregame "brawl" with Georgia's live mascot Uga before the 2019 Sugar Bowl. Bevo IX broke down his barrier and began to charge headfirst in Uga's direction before the Longhorn's handlers pulled him back.

Bevo's handlers, the Silver Spurs, told Brian Davis of A to Z Sports that they made efforts to try and get the SEC's approval.

“We did everything we could to try to get him there and it just didn’t work out,” the Silver Spurs told A to Z Sports. “The SEC said they didn’t have enough space.”

No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia will kick off from Atlanta on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.