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Two years ago, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issued a stark warning about on-court/field stormings. He was seriously considering punishing fans for engaging in such behavior.
Fast forward to Friday, and that is becoming a reality. During SEC meetings, Sankey specifically outlined the following consequences for teams whose fans participate in storming, as reported by Jordan Kaye of The State Newspaper.
An SEC team would be fined $500,000 if their fans storm the court or the field after a victory. There will no longer be an escalating scale from $ 100,000 to $ 250,000 to $ 500,000, as was once the case.
Sankey's position is tame compared to Alabama AD Greg Byrne, who said teams should forfeit. The SEC is one of the few conferences that has formalized a policy against storming, whereas the Big Ten and ACC don't—other conferences utilizing the escalating fine system.
Fans rushing the court or field after a win was once regarded in a positive light. The Boston Celtics famously allowed their fans to rush the floor after a dramatic win at the old Boston Garden.
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However, there are greater concerns about safety and well-being in the present day.
The problems with court/field stormings
The issue of stormings isn't relegated exclusively to the SEC. While it is often seen as a spontaneous celebration, there are also risks associated with it.
Players, coaches, officials, and fans could be trampled and subsequently injured. The swarm of people rushing the court or field would be difficult to contain.
As a result, proposals were made about creating space for fans to celebrate away from the field of play. Vanderbilt University student journalist Aiden Rutman requested a series of incidents on their campus.
Vanderbilt was fined $100,000 by the SEC in October 2024 when fans stormed the field. In January, they were fined $750,000 for two incidents of storming at men's basketball games.
