SEC fines Kentucky $100,000 for rushing field after Mississippi State win
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Kentucky’s huge upset win against Mississippi State came at an equally huge cost.
The school has been fined $100,000 by the SEC for fans coming onto Kroger Field following last Saturday’s game, a monumental win for the Wildcats. The steep cost is due to this being Kentucky’s second violation of the league rule — fans rushed the field after a 2014 win against South Carolina.
The league announced the penalty on Tuesday afternoon.
Here is the statement from the SEC office in Birmingham:
The Southeastern Conference announced today that the University of Kentucky will be fined for a violation of the league’s access to competition area policy, due to fans entering the field following its football game against Mississippi State University on September 22.
Kentucky will incur a fine of $100,000 for its second offense under the Conference’s current policy prohibiting fan access to the competition area. Kentucky was last fined for a violation following its football game against South Carolina in 2014.
“The Conference has unanimously approved a policy requiring fines be applied when spectators enter the playing field after a game,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Fans are expected to remain in the stands and avoid the safety concerns associated with rushing on to the playing field. We want exciting experiences around SEC games, but also seek to maintain a safe environment for student-athletes, coaches, spectators and officials.”
At the 2015 SEC spring meetings, the league raised the fines to $50,000 for a first offense, $100,000 for a second and a whopping $250,000 for a third.
Despite the massive fine, the Wildcats’ resounding 28-7 win against then-No. 14 Mississippi State has launched them to No. 17 in this week’s AP Top 25. It’s the program’s first appearance in the poll since 2007.
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
