SEC Referee Banned After Review Exposes His Sketchy Officiating During Georgia-Auburn Game

Ken williams signallingReferee Ken Williams (Photo via Imagn Images)

There’s been a development in the SEC regarding referee Ken Williamson that Auburn fans will definitely love, although it won’t undo what they perceive to be a cruel injustice.

The Tigers hold a 3-4 record ahead of the weekend but haven’t won a single conference game this season and were particularly peeved after their loss to Georgia earlier this month.

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According to Yellowhammer News, Williamson has been permanently suspended from conference fixtures following a review that resulted in multiple complaints being validated.

“The decision to remove the longtime referee comes in the immediate wake of an SEC review of eleven complaints against Williamson and his crew during the Auburn-Georgia game earlier this month,” the outlet notes. “According to sources, nine of those complaints were validated by conference officials.”

Yellowhammer, which cites sources rather than conference officials, requested comment from the SEC on Wednesday but did not receive a response.

Ken Williamson’s Crew Closely Watched After Prior Auburn Injustice

Ken Williamson (Photo via Imagn Images)
The game in question was marred by several controversial penalties, two of which were particularly glaring and drew criticism from around the country.

One was a goal-line review late in the second quarter that left everyone confused. The other came when Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart appeared to take a timeout before a play in the third quarter, which was reset without one being charged.

Georgia ended up with a 20-10 win.


Ken Williamson, a veteran official and one of the longest-serving in the conference, has officiated several high-profile postseason games. He was the crew chief for the controversial Auburn-Georgia game but it doesn’t appear that he will be back anytime soon.

Prior to that game. The SEC admitted that refs missed an “unfair tactic” on a trick-substitution touchdown during Auburn’s loss to Oklahoma, stating that “appropriate accountability will be applied.”

Williamson’s crew was not involved in that game, but it did prompt added scrutiny over the Tigers’ outing against Georgia a few weeks later.

A game between Penn State and Oregon in late September also triggered accusations against the NCAA after several questionable calls. Two officials were reportedly suspended pending a review.