Peach Bowl Issues Statement Over Not Allowing Texas Mascot Bevo at CFP Quarterfinal

A tough break for Texas fans and cattle everywhere.
Bevo walks out of the tunnel before a game between Texas and Kentucky at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Bevo walks out of the tunnel before a game between Texas and Kentucky at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Brett Patzke-Imagn Images
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The Texas Longhorns will be shorthanded for their Peach Bowl matchup against Arizona State on Jan. 1.

It's not injury-related, either. The Peach Bowl officially announced Monday that Longhorns mascot Bevo, a real-life longhorn steer, is not allowed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the game due to limited space.

"We love all of the great traditions of college football, and no doubt, Bevo is one of the best," the bowl game stated on Monday. "But the unfortunate reality is there simply is not enough room on the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"With the constraints of the stadium and prioritizing the safety of Bevo, the players, all the network cameras, support staff, cheerleaders, and photographers, we unfortunately will not be able to have Bevo on the field at the CFP quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl."

A tough break for Texas fans and cattle everywhere.

A live steer has served as the Longhorns' mascot for over a century, as the idea is attributed to an alumni in the early 1900s. There have been 15 Bevo mascots to date, with the current Bevo XV wrapping up his ninth season on the sidelines since his debut in 2016.

Mascot or not, Texas enters the Peach Bowl firing on all cylinders following a dominant 38–24 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff first round on Saturday.


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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.