SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid addressed the issue of the horns down gesture, which features an opposing player turning Texas' signature "Hook 'em Horns" sign upside down, during SEC Media Days on Tuesday.
John McDaid, SEC’s coordinator of officials, on penalizing for Horns down signal in ‘24: “Unsportsmanlike conduct needs to fit 1 of 3 categories: Is it taunting an opponent? Is it making a travesty of the game? Is it otherwise compromising our ability to manage the game? There’s…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 18, 2023
"Unsportsmanlike conduct needs to fit one of three categories: Is it taunting an opponent? Is it making a travesty of the game? Is it otherwise compromising our ability to manage the game?" McDaid told Action Network's Brett McMurphy. "There’s a difference between a player giving a signal directly in (the) face of an opponent, as opposed to doing it with teammates celebrating after a touchdown or on the sideline.
"To net all that out, every single occurrence is not an act of unsportsmanlike conduct."
The gesture was first penalized during the 2018 season before Big 12 Coordinator of Officials Greg Burks said it would 'probably' result in a penalty ahead of the 2021 season.
Texas and Oklahoma are slated to join the conference in 2024.
