Texas bans fan for flipping off Florida players

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The Texas Longhorns permanently banned a fan who was caught on camera flipping off Florida players in Saturday's 27-24 upset loss. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte announced it Wednesday in a newsletter.

After the game, a fan wearing Texas attire walked to the Florida sideline, recorded on his cellphone as he flipped off Gators players, captured their reactions, then trotted away. Several Florida staff members asked the fan to leave, and a Florida player had to be held back to avoid a confrontation.

"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.”

According to ESPN, Del Conte said the student is a local resident who attends another school in Florida, and he has no idea how the student got a field pass.

The 19th-ranked Longhorns have six games left on the schedule, three of them at home. Hopefully, they can string along some wins with fewer distractions.