We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

Published|Updated

There’s a very specific Texas longhorn that’s not going to be at the SEC Championship game on Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs.

No, it’s not one of the quarterbacks – Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning – or standout linebacker Colin Simmons (no relation, but wouldn’t that be sick?). It’s actually a real longhorn, as in Bevo, Texas’ live mascot.

It’s not because the Burnt Orange have no desire to get him there, it’s because the Mercedes-Benz Stadium apparently doesn’t have enough space to house the 1,700 bull with the 58-inch horn span for the game. To be fair, that does sound like quite the challenge.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 01: The Longhorn mascot Bevo is displayed during the Allstate Sugar Bowl playoff game between the Texas Longhorns and the Washington Huskies on Monday, January 1, 2024 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA.  (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“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 reality is there is limited sideline space at the stadium,” the SEC said in a statement. “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.”

I guess that makes sense. But could the conference just be trying to protect Uga XI, Georgia’s mascot?

Remember, the last time these two crossed paths at the 2019 Sugar Bowl, Bevo and Uga X had a near-disaster encounter.

While it would be fun to pin this decision on a circumstance like that, it’s not the case. Charles Sieler, the Uga owner, said that Rick Brennes, who oversees the care of Bevo, called him in 2019 to say that his steer was probably just tired of being in a fence for so long and that there was nothing intentional behind the steer’s actions.

“Rick called me and apologized,” Seiler said. “He said he thinks that, because Bevo got to the arena like six hours before the game started and hadn’t moved from that spot, he just got worn out from staring at a wall. He just wanted to go for a stroll. I don’t think the cow ever even saw the dog, because there were too many people around.”

Looks like Texas will have to fight for an SEC crown without their beloved mascot – but I think they can manage.