SEC referee Kane Williamson has been permanently suspended after a call that shifted momentum during the Auburn-Georgia game

A veteran college football referee has been “permanently suspended” from officiating after making a series of controversial calls — one of which shifted the momentum of the SEC’s fierce rivalry game, according to a report.

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has permanently suspended referee Kane Williamson from officiating games in the conference after 11 complaints against the veteran referee and his staff during the Auburn-Georgia game on Oct. 11, sources said. Yellowhammer News Wednesday.

“According to sources, nine of those complaints have been verified by conference officials,” the newspaper wrote.

The biggest controversy of the game came late in the second quarter, when Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold lost the ball near the one-yard line during a QB sneak and it was recovered by Kyron Jones.

Although multiple angles of the ABC broadcast show Jackson crossing the goal line before the ball is hit, officials ruled it a fumble — awarding the Bulldogs possession after the recovery.

If it had been ruled a touchdown, it would have extended the Tigers’ lead to 17-0.

Georgia took advantage of the turnover, putting together a 12-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a field goal to cut the gap to 10-3 before halftime.

The Bulldogs ended up winning the game 20-10.

Management crews undergo weekly and annual evaluations that impact future assignments and postseason opportunities, according to the SEC Guidelines for evaluation and accountability.

Conference bylaws limit public comment on management, and the SEC maintains confidentiality regarding any employee findings from those evaluations.

Williamson has been officiating football for 41 years, including 15 years at the high school level before moving to college, according to the British Daily Mail. Gulf Atlantic University Football Officials Camp.

He has spent the last 21 years with the SEC, most recently working the 2021 SEC Championship Game and serving as a substitute in the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl semifinals.

The Post has reached out to the SEC for comment on Williamson’s permanent suspension.

Former NFL referee and NBC Sports rules analyst Terry Macaulay criticized the move as “crazy.”

“This is crazy. Keane is a very good referee and has been for a very long time,” Macaulay wrote. X.

“I commented on the Ga/Auburn game and no, the crew didn’t have a very good game. It happens to officials, just as it happens to coaches and players. I look forward to the day the AD suspends his coach for poor clock management in one game, allowing players to fake injuries, bad play calls, etc.”

The former official added: “Or let’s put the midfielder on the bench permanently because of his objection at the end of the match, regardless of his previous performance.”

“*If* this is based solely on that one game, shame on everyone involved. It’s another reason conferences don’t have oversight of officiating and will forever remain a disgrace to college football.”

In 2009, the SEC suspended referee Mark Curles and his staff for one game and banned them from working together for the rest of the season after they committed a personal foul on Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard in the fourth quarter of a game against the Florida Gators. espn I mentioned.

This was the first time the SEC had publicly suspended a football staff.