AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo will not be in the building Saturday when No. 2 Texas takes on No. 5 Georgia in UT’s Southeastern Conference Championship debut.
SEC officials cited space constraints as the reason why Bevo won’t be on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium sidelines in Atlanta, Silver Spurs Alumni Association Executive Director Ricky Brennes said.
Uga XI, the University of Georgia’s bulldog mascot, will be in attendance, Brennes said. Uga XI has a considerably shorter trip to the game. Athens is about 70 miles from the stadium while Austin is approximately 950 miles from the NFL home of the Atlanta Falcons.
The two mascots missed each other in October, as well, when the Texas and Georgia football teams met at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The owner of Uga XI said Austin was too far of a trip for the young pup.
Georgia dominated the football game that weekend, 30-15, handing the Longhorns its lone loss of the season.
Bevo’s absence this weekend deprives college football fans of the opportunity to witness a reunion between the popular animal mascots.
The schools and their mascots became linked at the 2019 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans when Bevo appeared to charge at Uga XI’s dad, Que, during a pregame meet-and-greet.
Video showed Bevo breaking through the sideline barriers as the dog neared the pen. Bevo’s horn nicked a photojournalist in position to get photos of the meet-up, causing a bruise on his back.
Charles Seiler, Uga XI’s owner, told ESPN earlier this year he doesn’t think Bevo’s aggression that January night was directed toward the dog.
Texas and Georgia will meet in the SEC title game at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Longhorns are looking to win the SEC football crown in their first year in the conference.
Texas Gameday is the official pregame show of Texas football and airs at 2 p.m. on KBVO. Jonathan Thomas hosts alongside Longhorn legends Dan Neil and Alex Okafor.