{
  "id": 10958930,
  "title": "Texas AD Chris Del Conte apologizes for 'inappropriate celebrations' vs Tennessee",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/texas-ad-chris-del-conte-apologizes-for-inappropriate-celebrations-vs",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T14:11:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/texas-ad-chris-del-conte-141143475.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte extended an apology for the inappropriate celebrations displayed by Longhorn players during their 20-17 victory over Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on September 26. The controversy arose when defensive lineman Colin Simmons was penalized for simulating the use of the restroom while celebrating a sack of Vols quarterback Faizon Brandon in the second quarter. Del Conte acknowledged that the team's performance on the field was exceptional, but the celebrations were a significant issue that needed to be addressed. He expressed his dissatisfaction and emphasized that the incident was embarrassing for the university, the athletic program, and the Longhorn football team. Simmons set a Texas record with 5.5 sacks against the Vols, but after the game, coach Steve Sarkisian criticized the play, stating that such behavior is not in line with the team's values. Del Conte reiterated his stance, affirming that such conduct is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. He urged the Longhorn community to uphold the university's values of class, dignity, and respect in all their actions. Despite acknowledging that the players involved were young and made mistakes, Del Conte stressed that these actions were not reflective of their true character. He assured the fans that the team would learn from this experience and strive to improve.",
  "summary": "Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte issued an apology for Colin Simmons' unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during a Sept. 26 game vs Tennessee.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}