The SEC fined Texas A&M after determining the team faked an injury during last week’s game. The conference cited a violation of sportsmanship rules. In response, the Aggies issued a statement acknowledging the penalty but defended their staff’s integrity, saying the situation was a misunderstanding, not intentional deception.

The SEC fined Texas A&M $50,000 and issued a public reprimand to head coach Mike Elko after NCAA National Coordinator of Officials Steve Shaw determined the Aggies violated the rule against feigning injuries during last Saturday’s game at Arkansas. The league cited unsportsmanlike conduct as the reason for the penalty.

According to the SEC, the incident occurred with under 13 minutes left in Texas A&M’s 45-42 win over Arkansas in Fayetteville. The league said the alleged fake injury was reviewed by NCAA National Coordinator of Officials Steve Shaw after being flagged by SEC officials.

In its statement, the SEC reported that Aggies cornerback Tyreek Chappell went down after the ball was spotted, “creating the appearance of an injury.” The conference’s review found no evidence of contact between Chappell and another player during the previous play.

Additionally, SEC video footage showed a Texas A&M staff member near the 25-yard line “signaling demonstratively” toward the ground while looking at Chappell as he fell. This raised further questions about whether the sequence was intentional.

The SEC also emphasized that Chappell returned to the field just one play later, reinforcing the league’s conclusion that the incident violated rules against feigning injuries to stop play or gain an advantage.

After reviewing the footage, Steve Shaw concluded that the player’s actions combined with the simultaneous signaling by a coach on the sideline clearly demonstrated an attempt to gain an unfair advantage by halting play for an injury timeout. According to the SEC’s statement, this behavior violated the intent and spirit of the injury timeout rule.

Texas A&M issued a statement acknowledging the SEC’s decision and accepting the punishment but expressed disagreement with the ruling. The program emphasized that it “never coaches or instructs players to feign injury,” maintaining that the team’s actions were not intended to deceive or manipulate game play.

“We respect the SEC’s decision and understand the importance of upholding the integrity of the game. While we accept the ruling, we do not agree with the decision and want to be clear that we never coach or instruct our players to feign injury,” the Texas A&M statement posted to X/Twitter read. “Texas A&M Football remains firmly committed to the highest standards of sportsmanship, competitiveness, and integrity. We’ll use this as an opportunity to review our processes and ensure we continue to represent our great university and the SEC with class and accountability.”

The $50,000 fine and public reprimand align with the SEC’s August 2022 policy update, approved unanimously by league athletic directors. Under this policy, a second offense in the same season would double the fine to $100,000. Additional violations could trigger a one-game suspension for the head coach and penalties for involved staff.