SEC changes fines for field and court storming if schools don't enact safety measures

USA Today

3 days ago

SEC changes fines for field and court storming if schools don't enact safety measures
The SEC conference has officially changed its policy on field and court storming events ahead of the 2025-26 academic year, according to conference commissioner Greg Sankey in his final press conference at the league's spring meetings.
According to his announcement, violations of the SEC's access to competition area policy will incite a flat fee of $500,000, instead of the escalating fee schedule set in 2023. However, the caveat is that if schools allow visiting teams and officials to exit the field of play before fans rush the field or court, a fine will not be handed out.
"We'll welcome your celebration," Sankey offered. "Let's let the team, the visiting institutions depart."
The commish noted that the increased frequency of court and field rushes in the past three years invoked "meaningful conversation" about a policy change.
"If you are the one rushed, no matter how problematic the situation is, if it's only the first time on campus, it's $100,000," he said. "It may be a lot more. So the motivation was field rushing is field rushing, the first time or the 18th time. We'll offer an outlet of a delayed field rush where (we) let the visitors exit, let the officials exit. Then you go. That goes to zero."
Sankey said that in order to avoid the fines, there must be a no-interaction "period" between a visiting team and the rushing team's fans.
The $500,000 fee will continue to go to the visiting team if incurred. If the field or court storm happens during a non-conference game, Sankey said the fine will continue to go to the conference's post-graduate scholarship fund.
In a May 28 press conference, Sankey said football field storms could be harder to police than basketball, which he still called not easy.
"I don't think any of it is easy," Sankey said. "It has to be done with intent."
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