Longtime college football ref ‘permanently suspended’ after momentum-turning call during Auburn-Georgia game

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

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) permanently suspended ref Ken Williamson from officiating games in the conference following eleven complaints against the seasoned official and his crew during the Auburn-Georgia game on Oct. 11, sources told Yellowhammer News on Wednesday.

“According to sources, nine of those complaints were validated by conference officials,” the outlet wrote.

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

Though multiple angles from ABC’s broadcast appear to show Jackson crossing the goal line before the ball was punched out, 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 capitalized on the turnover, stringing together a 12-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a field goal to close the gap to 10–3 heading into halftime.

The Bulldogs ended up winning the game 20-10.

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Officiating crews undergo weekly and annual evaluations that influence future assignments and postseason opportunities, according to the SEC’s officiating evaluation and accountability guidelines.

Conference regulations restrict public comment on officiating, and the SEC maintains confidentiality regarding any personnel outcomes from those evaluations.

Williamson has been officiating football for 41 years, including 15 at the high school level before moving to college, according to the Gulf Atlantic Collegiate Football officials Camp.

He has spent the last 21 years with the SEC, most recently working the 2021 SEC Championship Game and serving as an alternate for the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl Semi-Final.

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

Former NFL referee and NBC Sports rules analyst Terry McAulay criticized the move, calling it “insane.”

“This is insane. Ken is a very good Referee and has been for a very long time,” McAulay wrote on X.

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“I’ve commented on the Ga/Auburn game, and no, the crew did not have a very good game. It happens to officials, just as it happens to coaches and players. I look forward to the day an AD suspends his coach for, in a single game, poor clock management, allowing players to feign injury, bad play calls, etc.”

“Or let’s permanently bench a QB for throwing a game-ending interception regardless of his past performance,” the former official added.

“*If* this is solely based on that one game, then shame on everyone involved. It’s yet another reason why Conferences should not oversee officiating and will forever be a dark stain on college football.”

In 2009, the SEC suspended Referee Marc Curles and his crew for one game and barred them from working together for the rest of the season after they made a personal foul on Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard in the fourth quarter of a game against the Florida Gators, ESPN reported.

It was the first time the SEC had publicly suspended a football crew.