Bret Bielema confirms call with Shane Beamer, says Citrus Bowl incident was 'not pre-mediated'

Following their high-profile incident in the Citrus Bowl, Shane Beamer told reporters Bret Bielema reached out. The Illinois coach confirmed that call Tuesday and addressed what happened.

After checking on an injured player late in the game, Bielema appeared to look at the South Carolina bench and make a ‘T’ with his arms, and Beamer needed to be held back as he responded.

Bielema confirmed he called Beamer and said he got caught up in the moment. That’s also why he said it was not pre-planned or anything of the like.

“Oh, yeah. I called Shane,” Bielema said on Mully and Haugh on 670 The Score in Chicago. “It was a little moment. … It was not pre-mediated. I promise.”

Bielema also joked he hears about that incident quite a bit in the months that followed. He specifically pointed to an interaction with some fans on a vacation to Nashville with his wife, where some Georgia fans saw him and had some fun at his expence.

“Everywhere I go – especially in recruiting … the best was, my wife and I, we got away for a little three-day weekend in Nashville,” Bielema said. “We came in the hotel the night before and there was about five or six guys that were checking in. I knew they knew who I was. We went to dinner that night, and I saw them again and I’m like, ‘Okay, these guys know.’

“So the next morning, we got up early … I come through the lobby and all six guys hit the tee bar, they were waiting to play golf and I just started laughing. I wasn’t expecting that to come out. They came up to me and they were actually all Georgia fans, so they kind of enjoyed the moment for themselves.”

Beamer previously confirmed in January he spoke with Bret Bielema and shared few details about the conversation. However, he said it was “cordial,” though they “agreed to disagree” at points.

“It was fine. We had a conversation and it was very cordial and agreed to disagree on a couple of things. But it was good,” Beamer said.

Illinois went on to win the Citrus Bowl 21-17 to complete and impressive 10-3 season. The Fighting Illini have plenty of key pieces back in 2025 from that team, as well – led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, who told On3’s Pete Nakos he passed on a return to the SEC to stay at Illinois for one more year.