ATLANTA — The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown.
The league said there wasn't enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No. 2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV.
The Longhorns are facing No. 5 Georgia in the title game Saturday.
The teams have two of college football's most famous mascots. There should be enough sideline space for Georgia's pure white English bulldog, the much-smaller Uga XI.
Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X, who was Uga XI's predecessor as the Bulldogs' mascot. Texas handlers were able to pull back Bevo before the massive animal caused any harm.
That won't be an issue in Atlanta.
“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,” said Chuck Dunlap, an SEC spokesman. “The reality is there is limited sideline space at the stadium. We can’t jeopardize the safety of Bevo or the game participants.”
In addition to the crowded sidelines, Mercedes-Benz Stadium also features field-level suits right behind the benches.
“With the narrow sidelines, location of multiple sets for television and camera carts, there is not enough space,” Dunlap said. “While we want to honor tradition across the conference, the space limitation is a reality.”
He added later Friday that the SEC tried to find space for Bevo, including a fan event at the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center.
“We did identify several options for Bevo, including a location at SEC FanFare, but there was no opportunity for him to be on the field due to the space limitations,” Dunlap said in an email to The Associated Press.