While SEC officiating has been a known problem for quite some time, and fans of the conference have complained about it, the 2025 college football season has brought some of the worst and most controversial calls.
Auburn and head coach Hugh Freeze have been on the wrong side of some of those calls, including this past Saturday in a 20-10 loss to No. 10 Georgia. The Tigers seemed to take a 17-0 lead late in the second quarter, but it was ruled that Jackson Arnold had fumbled before the ball had crossed the goal line. Despite evidence to the contrary, the call was upheld, and the Tigers didn't score another point.
On Monday, during his weekly press conference, Freeze was asked whether he had had any conversations with the SEC office.
“I was on the phone quite a bit this weekend and had a conversation with Commissioner (Greg) Sankey and with (Coordinator) of Officials John McDaid, and expressed how I felt," the coach said. "They listened. Obviously, they want their group to get it right all of the time. It’s just, there were some they did not get right, in my opinion. They can disagree with me, but it’s hurting our football team and it’s hurt, in my opinion, our record. Some of it has to do with us, for sure. I had a good conversation."
This controversial call came three weeks after two officials' decisions cost Auburn in a 24-17 loss to Oklahoma. On the Sooners' first drive, a receiver appeared to catch the ball, fumbled, and the ball was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Auburn to take a 7-0 lead. The call was overturned.
In the second quarter, an Oklahoma receiver feigned injury and headed toward the sideline. He stopped just short and was left wide open for a touchdown. The SEC later announced that the play should have been a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on the Sooners.
Freeze says Sankey has been open to conversations about the officiating problem.
"I enjoyed my conversation with him," the coach said. "He understands. They get frustrated when things aren’t done right also, but unfortunately it really doesn’t help us when there’s really nothing you can go back and do. I did have good conversations with them, and I know that their intent is to do the best job possible they can, and it be equal for all that are playing this game in this great conference. It’s just felt like, these last few weeks, that we can’t get a break that goes our way. Some sure look like they should, in my opinion and in many others’ opinions. At the end of the day, you trust that everybody wants to do the best they can, and I’m confident after my conversations with them that’s still their goal. Again, it doesn’t really help my feelings or the feelings of the Auburn fans or our locker room and our kids, but you definitely are going to have those conversations to try to plead your case and defend when (there are) things you feel like could have been done differently.”