With Texas joining the SEC this year, many have been led to wonder how the “Horns Down” gesture will be handled by league officials.

Longhorns supporters have long flashed the “Horns Up” gesture to celebrate big moments or simply to acknowledge fellow fans. But in recent years, opposing players and fans have turned the celebration upside down — literally — by mocking Texas with “Horns Down.”

The Big 12 treated any instance of “Horns Down” as taunting, and it resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if done in a game. During an appearance on the SEC Network Tuesday, however, SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid said that won’t necessarily be the case in the Longhorns’ new conference.

“We’re going to evaluate it in context,” McDaid told SEC Network hosts Peter Burns and Chris Doering, via On3 Sports. “Is it taunting an opponent? Is it making a travesty of the game? A travesty of the game is something that offends us, right? Kick it out of the football stadium, go put it in a shopping mall or out in a parking lot somewhere. Well, does it offend someone? Then it’s probably making a travesty of the game.”

McDaid added that if an opposing player flashes “Horns Down” in the face of a Texas player, that’s more likely to result in a penalty. But on the sideline, probably not.

“If a player is just doing it to celebrate with his teammates, maybe going back up the sideline after a touchdown or interception, I don’t necessarily have that as a travesty,” McDaid said. “I don’t have that directed at his opponent. So it’s contextual.”

Burns then offered that McDaid and his SEC officiating brethren will likely be careful not to let a penalty decide the outcome of a game. McDaid concurred.

“Absolutely, you’re spot on with that,” McDaid said. “I say this a lot, we hear all the time ‘We don’t want officials factoring into the game, let the two teams decide it.’ Guess what? You put a flag down for unsportsmanlike conduct, you’re moving someone 15 yards, and if it’s the defense, you’re giving the offense an automatic first down. That’s inserting yourself into the game.”

McDaid noted that “Horns Down” is not unique in being co-opted by opposing fans. Florida’s “Gator Chomp” and Ole Miss’ “Landshark” fin are also often used in a taunting manner after big plays against the Gators and Rebels.

“And we already have some of this in our conference,” McDaid said. “We have opponents maybe down in Gainesville and they’re winning and they’re using the Gator Chomp in … not a positive manner, right. You know, as long as it hasn’t been directed at an opponent for taunting, we haven’t had a problem with it.”