ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Big 12 has a message for those thinking of making the "Horns Down" sign this season: Do it quickly and don't direct it toward opposing players.
Greg Burks, the Big 12 coordinator of football officials, on Tuesday said if a player quickly flashes the "Horns Down" after scoring a touchdown, he likely would not be called for a penalty. Prolonged displays of the signal, used for decades to mock the Texas Longhorns' "Hook 'Em Horns sign," will be penalized, especially if directed toward an opposing player or to the opponents' bench.
"Like any play, there is a degree -- who it's directed at," Burks said Tuesday at Big 12 media days at AT&T Stadium.