The Missouri basketball picked up an impressive win at home on Wednesday night as they knocked off #4 Alabama. It was a complete performance from start to finish as the Tigers started the game on a 12-0 run, and they never let the Crimson Tide back into the game. Missouri went on to win 110-98, and head coach Dennis Gates made sure that students didn't storm the court because of fines and safety concerns. The students listened, and they were rewarded.

Missouri students were rewarded with free covers at a couple of popular bars on campus for the weekend because of the win with no court storm. Dennis Gates made sure to stop the storm from happening as he grabbed the PA microphone and asked the crowd not to. Everyone listened, despite booing the original message, and now Missouri doesn't have to pay any fines.

Court/field storming has been a big topic of discussion as of late, especially in the SEC. It is a safety concern as we have seen players get hurt during them, and we have also seen some ugly situations unfold with players and opposing fans. They are part of what makes college sports so great, but they do come with consequences.

One consequence with court storming is fines. Missouri has had to pay the price for them before, and they would much rather have that money go to their NIL fund.

Related Missouri Basketball NewsArticle continues below
UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s game-changing potential gets Michigan basketball coach’s attention
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari addresses the media in a press conference during NCAA Tournament West Regional Practice at Chase Center.
John Calipari, Arkansas score major win with top 25 recruit
Ace Bailey talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Rutgers basketball’s Ace Bailey gets 100% real ahead of NBA Draft

That is one way that the SEC has tried to stop these court and field stormings from happening, but it hasn't worked. Teams are paying the fines, but the incidents are still happening because the students don't care about these massive universities paying a fine.

There have been other ideas floated around, for example, Alabama AD Greg Byrne suggested that a team would have to automatically forfeit the game if their fans stormed the playing surface. That one seems a bit harsh.

Perhaps Missouri is onto something here. Students may not care about the school's money, but they care about their own. College students usually don't have a ton of money as it's hard to work a lot during school, and going out in a college town can get pricey. If the students know that they won't have to pay a cover at their favorite bar if they don't storm the court, there's a decent chance that they will listen.

For their season and for their NIL fund, Wednesday night was a huge success for the Missouri basketball team. The Tigers are now 20-6 overall and 9-4 in SEC play. They will return to action this weekend for a difficult road test against Arkansas. If Missouri wins that one, they could find themselves ranked in the top-10 next week.