ATLANTA — Fans who hoped to see a battle of the mascots at the SEC Championship Game will have to wait.
Bevo XV, the beloved mascot for No. 2 Texas, will not be on the sidelines at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. Uga XI, the beloved mascot for No. 5 Georgia, will be.
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Why? SEC officials say there is simply not enough room for the Longhorn.
“When we received the request for Bevo to be on the sideline in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, our staff looked at several alternatives including the sideline location. The reality is there is limited sideline space at the stadium,” conference officials said in a statement. “We can’t jeopardize the safety of Bevo or the game participants. With the narrow sidelines, location of multiple sets for television and camera carts, there is not enough space. While we want to honor tradition across the conference, the space limitation is a reality.”
The SEC says it did find a few places where Bevo could be at the SEC FanFare at the Georgia World Congress Center. As of Friday morning, It’s unclear if Bevo made the trip.
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Of course, there has been some bad beef between the Texas and Georgia mascots in the past. Bevo charged at the previous Uga X during a photo opportunity before kickoff at the 2019 Sugar Bowl,
Fans will have to wait and see if Georgia and Texas will meet again in the College Football Playoff to see if Uga XI and Bevo XV can be friends.
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