SEC official Ken Williamson will not be officiating another conference college football game for the remainder of the 2025 season and beyond.
The news, first reported by YellowHammer News and confirmed by OutKick, stems from the Georgia vs. Auburn game that took place three weeks ago. Williamson, who served as the lead official (crew chief), came under fire after a series of controversial calls left fans and coaches questioning the SEC’s officiating standards.
ESPN is reporting that Williamson informed SEC officials that he planned on retiring after the season, so this will be the end of his career.
As in past instances, the Southeastern Conference is not going to address the situation, though commissioner Greg Sankey has had plenty of conversations with Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, along with AD John Cohen.
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The most pivotal moment came in the second quarter, with Auburn looking to extend its lead to 17-0.
Quarterback Jackson Arnold was ruled to have fumbled the ball at the Georgia goal line — even though replays appeared to show the nose of the football crossing the plane before being punched out by a Bulldogs defender.
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Officials called the play a fumble. Despite video evidence suggesting the ball may have broken the plane, the SEC officiating office upheld the ruling after review from its headquarters.
This was obviously a turning point in the game, which led to Auburn athletic director John Cohen chasing after Williamson as he was departing the field at halftime.
The Kirby Smart ‘Clapping’ Timeout Infuriated Hugh Freeze
Another moment that fueled controversy involved Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and the so-called “clapping” timeout.
As the play clock wound down, Smart was seen running toward a sideline official, seemingly calling for a timeout. Officials granted the stoppage, infuriating Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, who believed Smart had bailed out the Bulldogs’ offense with his argument.
Many watching believed Smart had requested the timeout, and the subsequent whistle seemed to confirm it.
However, Smart claimed postgame that he was alerting officials that Auburn players were attempting to induce a snap infraction by clapping their hands.
Kirby Smart would end up convincing the officiating crew that he was not calling for a timeout, but rather trying to tell the sideline referee.
“I was on the phone quite a bit this weekend, had a conversation with Commissioner Sankey and the (SEC) director of officials, John McDaid, and explained how I felt,” Freeze mentioned. “They listened. Obviously, they want their group to get it right all the time, and it’s just there were some they did not get right, in my opinion. And they can disagree with me. But it’s hurting our football team, and it’s hurt, in my opinion, our record.”
This Isn’t The First Time An SEC Official Has Been Suspended
In 2009, SEC official Marc Curles was suspended for two games by the conference after a series of controversial moments in multiple matchups that season.
One of the incidents occurred on October 17, during the Arkansas vs. Florida game. Razorbacks defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard was flagged for an illegal hit — a call that the SEC later reviewed and determined was actually legal.
Then, even though it was not him making the call, but working the game, Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green was penalized for his celebration following a play against LSU.
The SEC would then suspend him for the two-game period. The aftermath of those games led to Curles receiving death threats, along with messages left at his business.
Fast-forward to 2021 when Ole Miss visited Tennessee for the return of Lane Kiffin to Knoxville as a head coach.
On a fourth-down play, quarterback Matt Corral took the snap, but then stopped in the backfield just as two Tennessee defenders came crashing in, forcing what fans thought was a fumble, leading to Tyler Baron scooping the ball and taking it in for a 42-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Vols, official Marc Curles said that Matt Corral’s forward progress had been stopped, even though he fumbled the football.
As you can see in the video, it was a bang-bang play, though one of the officials was running with Baron as he raced towards the end zone.
Add on a few more questionable calls in that game, and Tennessee fans were throwing trash onto the field, including a golf ball hitting Lane Kiffin in the leg.
According to folks familiar with the situation, Curles was then removed as crew chief, though he would still remain a conference official, mostly working on the sidelines.
So, as the season continues, there will be a watchful eye on SEC officiating, though this shouldn’t be a reason why Hugh Freeze keeps his job at Auburn.
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