A room of reporters laughed after Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning called an AI-generated video depicting head coach Steve Sarkisian slapping veteran sideline reporter Holly Rowe 'hilarious' during a media availability in Austin on Monday, 14 September.
The 22-year-old senior was answering a question about fan-made edits circulating after Texas' 24-23 comeback win over Ohio State on Saturday, 12 September, when he brought up the fake clip himself. 'I saw an AI edit of Sark's interview,' Manning said before asking whether others had seen it and describing the altered scene of Sarkisian striking Rowe as 'hilarious'. Laughter could be heard in the room.
The Fake Video Came From a Real Postgame Moment
The AI clip altered a real exchange between Sarkisian and Rowe after Texas' dramatic win. Rowe approached the Longhorns coach for a standard postgame interview, but Sarkisian cut across her question, shouted 'Texas fight' and 'Hook 'em', then walked away to celebrate with his team. The manipulated version changed that moment to falsely show Sarkisian turning back and striking Rowe, sending her to the ground.
Watch below: Arch Manning calls the AI-generated video of Holly Rowe being slapped 'hilarious' as laughter can be heard in the room.
“I saw the AI Edit of (Sark) slapping Holly Rowe.”
— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) September 14, 2026
I asked Arch Manning if he’d seen any edits on TikTok or Twitter after the game, and his answer is gold. pic.twitter.com/70FnNCVEHb
The incident followed an earlier awkward interview sequence at halftime involving Sarkisian and another sideline reporter, Laura Rutledge. Rutledge later explained on the broadcast that technical problems had delayed the interview, saying Sarkisian had apologised to the broadcast team even though ESPN had also apologised to him. A Texas spokesperson later said those technical issues also played a role in the coach's postgame reaction.
Manning's comment brought further attention to the fake video because it came from one of college football's prominent quarterbacks. The University of Texas lists Manning, the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, as a fourth-year quarterback and senior who has started 17 games for the Longhorns. His remarks quickly drew criticism online, including over the laughter that followed inside the media room.
Manning Says 'There Is Nothing Funny About It'
By Tuesday, 15 September, Manning had reversed course. In a statement posted to Instagram Stories, he called his comment 'insensitive' and wrote: 'There is nothing funny about it. It's easy to say I didn't mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people.' He said he did not take that impact lightly and apologised for his remarks.
Arch Manning has issued a public apology to ESPN’s Holly Rowe. https://t.co/X6g1f0LiZe pic.twitter.com/m0VBHAVzEK
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 15, 2026
Manning also apologised directly to Rowe, saying he respected her and appreciated the grace she had shown him. He added that he needed to 'do better' and promised to be more thoughtful going forward. The apology came one day after the press conference clip began circulating widely online.
Rowe, who has spent more than two decades covering college sports and received the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award in 2023, publicly accepted the apology after speaking with Manning privately. 'Thank you Arch. I appreciate our conversation about this, which will remain private. Apology accepted,' she wrote. Rowe added that they would move forward 'with respect and kindness for one another'.
The Reporter Who Asked the Question Also Apologised
The fallout extended beyond Manning. Reporter Evan Vieth, who asked Manning whether he had seen social media edits after the game, initially posted the answer online describing the response as 'gold'. He later apologised for how he presented the clip and said he would be more careful about AI-generated content.
Yesterday, I published a tweet of Arch Manning responding to a question of mine, where he mentioned seeing an AI video of Steve Sarkisian slapping Holly Rowe.
— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) September 15, 2026
I captioned his response as "gold."
I realized quickly that I had made a mistake and was far too hasty in publishing…
The episode began with a synthetic edit of a brief postgame interaction before spreading far beyond the original clip. Manning's response put renewed attention on the video, while the laughter audible during the press conference became part of the subsequent criticism. His apology acknowledged the impact of his reaction, while Rowe confirmed that they had spoken privately and that she accepted it.
