After a few recent bans and a near-disastrous incident from a few years back, PETA has once again urged the Southeastern Conference to not allow Texas to have its live mascot, longhorn Bevo, at Friday’s Cotton Bowl playoff game.
Bevo was banned from Texas’ last two games away from the Lone Star State, both at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Friday’s College Football Playoff Semifinal will be played in Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, about three hours north of campus and Bevo’s natural habitat.
Bevo is slated to be in the Dallas Metroplex for the Cotton Bowl, where the winner will face Notre Dame in the national championship on January 20.
That has not stopped PETA from sending a letter to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey about the matter.
‘Dear Commissioner Sankey: PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was highly concerned to see that Bevo would be attending the Cotton Bowl Classic at the AT&T Stadium this Friday,’ the letter stated. ‘After being banned from the SEC Championship game in December and the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day because of safety and sideline space issues, it is wildly irresponsible to allow him to attend the Cotton Bowl Classic. We urge you to bar this senseless and dangerous stunt.’
PETA has urged the SEC to not allow live mascot Bevo on the sidelines of the Cotton Bowl
Texas is set to play Ohio State in the CFP semifinal on Friday evening with their longhorn in tow
‘Bevo deserves to spend his days grazing with his herd. Being forced into a stadium full of bright lights, screaming fans, and frightening noises is stressful – even terrifying – for sensitive, intelligent animals like longhorns, and this stress could cause Bevo to react in ways that might result in injury to himself or others, as we saw back in 2019 when he charged Uga at the Sugar Bowl.’
‘The public increasingly opposes using live animals as “spectacles” at sporting events. This is evidenced by the recent LSU debacle where a live tiger was carted out in a cage to a football game. Following the event, the student government unanimously passed a resolution pushing LSU leadership to ban all live tigers.’
‘Ethical, professional teams like the Dallas Cowboys use costumed human mascots rather than animals. Rowdy and other human mascots can safely ride four-wheelers, toss t-shirts to the crowd, and mock opponents – all things a frightened animal can’t do.’
‘Please consider the fear and stress Bevo will no doubt experience on Friday and the danger you put all players, staff, cheerleaders, media, and fans in by allowing a 1,700-pound longhorn steer on the sidelines.’
College football fans will remember Bevo’s near-tragic incident with Georgia’s live Bulldog mascot, Uga, in 2019, as the steer charged the canine during pregame warmups.
The SEC nor Texas has responded to the request, with Bevo expected to be inside Jerry World for the penultimate game of the college football season.
