Texas bans fan who went onto field and flipped off Florida players following Gators' upset win over Longhorns

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said Tuesday that a fan who got onto the field and flipped off Florida players following the Gators’ upset win over the Longhorns is no longer allowed at Darrell K. Royal stadium.

Del Conte revealed the decision in his weekly newsletter to fans. The fan, who was wearing a Texas pullover, had field access during the game and was filming himself giving the finger to the opposing team in the minutes after the game.

“In closing, I want to address the video circulating on social media showing unacceptable behavior by an individual who had the privilege of field access following Saturday’s game,” Del Conte wrote. “We pride ourselves on sportsmanship and treating our opponents with respect. This individual’s actions did not reflect those values or meet our standards and will not be tolerated. The matter has been addressed internally and I want to personally apologize to the University of Florida and its entire football program. Having access to our field comes with a responsibility to represent Texas with class and respect. This individual failed to uphold that responsibility and has been permanently banned from Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.”

The Longhorns went up 17-3 in the second quarter before allowing 24 straight points in their second straight 27-24 loss. Texas, which is now No. 19 in the AP Top 25, became the first team since 1961 to be No. 1 in the AP poll and lose back-to-back games to unranked opponents. Texas was No. 1 when it lost to Oklahoma in Week 6.

Texas is now 4-2 and its playoff fate suddenly looks tenuous. The Longhorns host No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday and also have road games remaining against No. 22 Missouri and No. 18 LSU along with a season-ending trip to arch-rival Texas A&M. Texas could sneak into the playoff at 9-3 thanks to wins over No. 3 Ohio State and No. 11 Tennessee. But even then, that would be no guarantee.