Big 12 addresses how league will handle Horns Down gesture meant to deride Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas — Big 12 director of officials Greg Burks pleaded directly with Oklahomans on Thursday with the final comments of his annual presentation on rules changes when he was finally asked the question he’d been anticipating all morning.
“Is the Horns Down issue a dead issue?” asked Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman in the final question to Burks during his discussion on college football rule changes at Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium.
“I knew that question was coming sooner or later,” Burks cracked. “Let me be very clear with Horns Down. I have no ownership of this symbol or this symbol (gesturing Horns Up and Horns Down). It’s the same as all other symbols. It’s when you do it, who you do it to and in which manner you do it.
“Please, the state of Oklahoma, I meant no offense. You don’t have to send me emails. We are just looking at that as any other act, and you note that unsportsmanlike conduct is in there. It’s not about Horns up or Horns down. It’s the manner that you do anything on the field to an opponent that is an unsportsmanlike penalty.”
The answer, which capped Burks’ presentation of roughly 32 minutes, was a clearer explanation than he offered a year ago in the same setting, when he said a Horns Down gesture toward a Texas player was “probably going to be a foul.”
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But this time, Burks was clearer in explaining the officials’ observation of intent regarding the use of the hand signal.
Taunting of any kind remains a point of emphasis for Big 12 officials, and Horns Down falls into that category if used as a taunt.
The on-again, off-again frustrations with the use of Horns Down by Texas opponents — most notably by OU players in the annual rivalry game in Dallas each October — had gained steam in 2018 when then-Texas coach Tom Herman reignited the discussion with fervor.
The Big 12 first addressed the issue from an officiating perspective in November of 2018 when West Virginia players were twice flagged for directing the hand sign toward Texas players. The following week, the issue exploded in the leadup to Okahoma and Texas meeting in the Big 12 title game.
Of course, the issue is only the Big 12’s to deal with for another year or two, with Texas set to exit the league for the Southeastern Conference by 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big 12 addresses 'Horns Down' Texas gesture and if will be penalized
