SEC fines Tennessee for storming the field after win over Alabama
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The Southeastern Conference hit Tennessee with a $500,000 fine on Sunday for violating the league’s access to competition area policy after its upset victory over Alabama on Saturday.
In simpler terms, Tennessee was fined because its fans stormed the field at Neyland Stadium in jubilation after a 26-10 victory over the Crimson Tide.
In accordance with SEC policy, the fine will be paid to Alabama. That policy “provides for a $500,000 penalty for violations involving access to competition areas in all SEC-sponsored sports.”
The SEC policy also states:
Institutions shall limit access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times. For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest may spectators enter the competition area.
The commissioner of the SEC may reduce the fine to $100,000 if the home institution, in this case Tennessee, can prove that a full attempt to prevent the fans from storming the field was made, or that “few individuals breached the competition area and minimal interaction with the visiting team occurred.”
The SEC policy also “permits member institutions to establish procedures allowing fans to celebrate on the playing surface after all visiting team personnel and game officials have safely exited the field or court.”
There is a stipulation for that though, because to qualify for this “exception,” schools “must submit their plans to the Conference office in advance and communicate the procedures to fans. Institutions may avoid the prescribed penalty when all applicable requirements are satisfied.”
This SEC “access to competition area policy” that was used in Tennessee’s punishment was adopted by SEC members in 2004 and was amended last year.
Tennessee celebrated its huge upset of Alabama, but now the Volunteers will have to turn their attention to their Week 8 matchup at South Carolina. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Volunteers’ chances to keep rolling next Saturday in Columbia in the 3:30 p.m. ET game on ESPN:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
