Tennessee contacts SEC about referee from loss to LSU who once showed off his Tigers gear on social media post

Tennessee contacted the SEC office over the weekend regarding one of the referees who officiated Saturday’s 82-80 loss at LSU. The referee had an old Facebook post that is now going viral for all the wrong reasons.

The post, which was from 2014, shows official Anthony Jordan in LSU gear with a caption that, in part, reads, “Geaux Tigers…”

“All I can tell you is I have trust and faith in the SEC office,” Barnes said during his regularly scheduled media availability via the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I know they are going to do their due diligence and look at it. They will handle it the way it should be handled. That’s all I can say about it.”

Jordan has officiated in the SEC for 19 years, the SEC said in response. But it condemned his old post, saying it was not acceptable and that it plans to “proceed accordingly.”

“We do not find this social media post to be acceptable with our expectations and will proceed accordingly, while also acknowledging Mr. Jordan has a lengthy track record as a fair and impartial basketball official,” the SEC announced. 

Barnes was visibly displeased after the game ended Saturday and appeared to take umbrage with the officiating crew. In the final seconds of overtime, the crew called a foul on Tennessee’s Grant Williams, which awarded LSU two free throws. LSU hit both, sealing the victory.