AUSTIN, Texas — Coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that the Texas Longhorns‘ “passionate fan base” needs to use “better discretion” after the school was fined and threatened with further sanctions by the SEC.
Texas fans pelted the field with water bottles and trash in the third quarter of Saturday night’s loss to Georgia after an apparent pass interference penalty against the Longhorns. The game was briefly delayed for cleanup before the penalty was ultimately reversed.
Sarkisian went on the field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to implore fans to stop throwing things.
“I know that we’ve got a passionate fan base, and I think that showed Saturday night,” Sarkisian said Monday. “I think we all were a little upset in that moment. I just think that we’ve all got to use a little better discretion in moments like that.
“We don’t want that to be the narrative that that’s what DKR is all about. It was too good of a football game for that to be the focal point of it all. I think in the end they got it [the penalty reversal] right.”
Even actor Matthew McConaughey, a graduate of the school and the university’s “Minister of Culture,” had a message for Longhorns fans after Saturday’s incident.
“Let’s get real about the bottle bombing the field glitch we had,” McConaughey posted to X. “Not cool. Bogey move. Yeah, that call was BS, but we’re better than that. Longhorn Nation knows how to show up, show out like no other, and still keep our class.
“So, going forward let’s clean that kind of BS up and leave that behind us for good. We have to shake hands on that.”
The SEC fined Texas $250,000 and said the school must meet requirements assigned by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey that include using available resources to find and suspend fans who threw debris, review alcohol availability policies and provide a report of the school’s findings to the SEC.
The SEC did not suspend Texas’ alcohol sales, but the league said it can do so if the Longhorns don’t meet those requirements.
Texas issued a joint statement from board of regents chairman Kevin Eltife, UT president Jay Hartzell and athletic director Chris Del Conte that condemned the bottle throwing and apologized to Georgia players and staff, the SEC, and game officials.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” the statement said. “We are committed to fostering a positive environment for all participants, teams, officials and fans, and we will take steps to ensure that this type of behavior does not happen again.”
The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.
After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.
Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:
There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.
Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.
Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.
Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?
There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 43 Regulation wins: 12 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 17 Points pace: 54.3 Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 8
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
Hintz extended his stick toward Henrique, whose wrist shot sent the puck under Hintz’s visor during his club’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers. He was on the ice, with his face in a towel, as the team’s medical staff assessed him and helped him skate toward the dressing room.
After the loss, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Hintz was at a local hospital, receiving tests. The coach added that the initial report was fairly optimistic for Hintz, 28, who has 25 goals and 52 points.
“Everyone’s optimistic that it’s not ‘serious, serious,'” DeBoer said. “But we won’t know until we get testing.”
The short-handed Stars rallied from a 5-1 deficit before eventually losing. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his debut for Dallas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored for the Stars.