One Texas Longhorns fan’s middle finger, aimed at Florida Gators players on the field in Austin, got him banned from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for good. Now Scott Rabalais, a sports columnist for The Advocate, wants the Kentucky Wildcats to do the same to the fans who made obscene gestures at LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin in Lexington earlier this month.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte announced the permanent ban on Tuesday, three days after the Gators’ 27-24 upset of the then-No. 7 Longhorns on Oct. 17. Rabalais made the comparison in a post on Wednesday.
Chris Del Conte and the Ban Scott Rabalais Is Pointing To
It was the Longhorns’ second straight loss, and video of what followed spread quickly. Shortly after the final whistle, a reporter on the field filmed the fan recording himself as he gave Florida players the middle finger and yelled obscenities at them. The players yelled back, and Florida staff members held some of them back to keep the situation from escalating.
Del Conte has been here before this season, having apologized for the Longhorns’ celebrations during their win at Tennessee. This time, he took it up in his weekly “Forty Acres Insider” post on Texas’ athletics website, condemning what he called “unacceptable behavior.”
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Rabalais’ post came 11 days after the scene it describes, and it names Kentucky’s athletic director directly: “Would be nice to see Kentucky athletic director J Batt be able/willing to make the same announcement about those classless little twerps who were making obscene gestures following Lane Kiffin off the field in Lexington.”
Del Conte’s statement did more than announce the ban, although he stopped short of naming the individual involved.
“Having access to our field comes with a responsibility to represent Texas with class and respect,” he wrote. “This individual failed to uphold that responsibility …”
He set out what Texas expects of itself: “We pride ourselves on sportsmanship and treating our opponents with respect.” The fan’s actions, he added, “will not be tolerated.” Del Conte also had words for the visitors: “I want to personally apologize to the University of Florida and its entire football program.”
The Night in Lexington and the SEC’s Response
On Oct. 10, a week before the Texas incident, the unranked Wildcats knocked off the then-No. 10 Tigers 35-34 in overtime at Kroger Field. Sam Leavitt’s 15-yard touchdown run put LSU ahead in the extra period, and Kentucky answered with a 1-yard CJ Baxter touchdown, then skipped the tying kick and won it on Kenny Minchey’s two-point run.
Kiffin arrived at LSU after leaving Ole Miss during its College Football Playoff run last season. Once the game ended, Kentucky fans stormed the field, and some were seen flipping him off.
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Within two days, the SEC fined Kentucky $500,000 over the field storming. That penalty fell on the university as a whole.
Del Conte’s ban fell on one person, a fan who had been granted field access and had been identified. In Lexington, the fans who made the gestures were part of a crowd that had poured out of the stands.
The Wildcats, now 6-1 and first in the SEC standings, return to Kroger Field on Saturday night against the Vanderbilt Commodores for their first home game since the LSU win. The Longhorns host Ole Miss the same day in their first home game since Del Conte announced the ban.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.