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EA Sports has announced that the popular “Horns Down” gesture won’t be included in its College Football ’25 video game. The news comes as a blow to many who’d anticipated trolling Texas when facing off against the simulated Longhorns.
The hand signal has received much criticism over the years, sparking debates sport-wide. Is Texas being soft by complaining every time an opposing player flashes the sign, or is penalty warranted for offenders?
I’ve been told that Horns Down will NOT be in the video game.
Only hand signals for your own team.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) June 26, 2024
“Horns Down” exceeds both sport and location.
It once caused a national anthem singer at the College World Series to be pulled from the lineup. It’s caused basketball coaches to throw tirades in handshake lines.
Heck, it even went international when an English football player committed to play for the University of Oklahoma.
It’s reach truly knows no bounds. If your team is playing against UT, it’s the go-to option for disrespect.
Of course, the gesture is a direct jab at Texas’s “Hook ’em Horns” celebration, which will be included in the College Football ’25 video game.
Is it fair? Maybe not considering a recent rule change.
“Horns Down” won’t be banned in the SEC.
The Big XII did its part to protect its football darling, penalizing opponents for flashing the hand signal. That won’t be the case when Texas transitions into the Southeastern Conference next year.
SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid revealed the league’s stance on the gesture last offseason.
“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 a difference between a player giving a signal directly in 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.”
So, while it can be penalized, there’s no guarantee as everything will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
One would think that embracing “Horns Down” in order to make the most realistic video game possible would behoove EA Sports, but one would be wrong.
Fans weren’t happy.
“This is so weak. Why is this the one rivalry signal that is banned?”
“Texas is the softest university in the world.”
“How much did Texas pay to keep this out of the game?”
“Texas just keep embarrassing themselves.”
While we’ll see incredible fanbase-related additions in the game, like “Neck” from LSU (which the Tiger band is actually banned from playing), “Horns Down” won’t be one of them. And that’s a shame.