AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo will be in the building for the College Football Playoff semifinal after missing two of Texas' last three football games.
UT Football announced Friday on social media that the "big guy" is headed to Arlington for the Cotton Bowl Classic next Friday, Jan. 10.
Texas' near-2,000 lbs. mascot wasn't allowed to attend the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7 nor the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day — both at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Stadium officials and Peach Bowl leaders cited safety and sideline space as reasons for Bevo's absence.
“With the cameras that drive up and down from ESPN on the sidelines, with the cheerleaders, with the photographers, with the teams and their staffs on the sidelines, it’s just really difficult to fit Bevo in there,” Peach Bowl President and CEO Gary Stokan previously told KXAN.
Bevo is familiar with the setup at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium, the location of the Cotton Bowl, attending Texas' Big 12 Championship win in that stadium in December 2023.
Texas kept its season alive Wednesday with a 39-31 double-overtime win over Arizona State in a CFP instant classic.
No. 5-seed Texas will face No. 8-seed Ohio State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 10 with a spot in the national championship on the line. If Texas wins against the Buckeyes, Bevo will likely not be traveling to the title game, which will be back in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20.
