Matthew McConaughey had strong words for University of Texas football fans who disrupted a game over the weekend by throwing trash onto the field. The incident occurred during the Oct. 19 matchup between then-top-ranked Texas and No. 5 Georgia. Tensions flared after a controversial pass interference call against Texas, leading to a brief delay as rowdy Longhorn fans hurled bottles and other debris onto the field at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
On Monday, Oct. 21, McConaughey, a proud Texas alum and longtime supporter of the Longhorns, took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the situation. He praised the energy of the Texas fans but called out those responsible for the unsportsmanlike behavior.
“First off, you were electric Saturday night when we hosted Georgia. Bravo. Let’s continue to bring it. Even though our Horns didn’t get the W, you created a measurable home-field advantage,” McConaughey began in his post.
“But let’s get real about the bottle-bombing the field glitch we had. Not cool. Bogey move. Yeah, that call was BS, but we’re better than that. Longhorn Nation knows how to show up, show out like no other, and still keep our class,” the actor continued, urging fans to maintain their composure regardless of bad calls.
McConaughey, 54, concluded his message by emphasizing the importance of good sportsmanship. “So, going forward, let’s clean that kind of BS up and leave that behind us for good. We have to shake hands on that,” he wrote, calling on the Longhorn faithful to raise the standard of behavior in future games.
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The repercussions of the incident were swift. On Sunday, Oct. 20, the SEC announced that it had fined the University of Texas $250,000 for the game disruption, citing violations of its sportsmanship, game management, and alcohol availability policies. In addition to the fine, the SEC stated that it would work with the university to identify those responsible for throwing trash and would ban them from all Texas athletic events for the entire 2024-25 school year.
“The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement, underscoring the seriousness of the incident.
After stadium staff removed the debris, the game resumed, and referees overturned the pass interference call, ultimately favoring Texas. Despite a touchdown two plays later that brought the Longhorns within eight points of the Bulldogs late in the third quarter, Georgia pulled away and secured a 30-15 victory.
While the loss was disappointing for Texas fans, McConaughey’s message serves as a reminder that passion for the game should never cross the line into unsportsmanlike conduct.
As the Longhorns continue their season, McConaughey hopes fans will bring the same energy, but with the class and respect that Longhorn Nation is known for.
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