SEC officials have officially released the fine that Tennessee will be receiving for allowing fans to storm the field on Saturday night after defeating Alabama.
According to an SEC press release on Sunday, Tennessee will be hit with a $100,000 fine for the actions.
The fine for a first offense is only $50,000. However, this is the second time that Tennessee has been fined, bumping the number up by double.
“Tennessee will incur a fine of $100,000 for a second offense under the league’s access to competition area policy,” the press release states. “Tennessee was last fined for a violation following a basketball game against Florida in 2006.”
Under the SEC’s current policy, the third offense to any University in the conference would result in a fine of up to $250,000. The policy was originally adopted after a vote in 2004.
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The fine that Tennessee is receiving is for allowing fans to storm the field on Saturday night under the lights. Tennessee fans swarmed Shields-Watkins field as both goalposts were eventually torn down, torn apart, and carried out of the stadium.
Here’s the thing, though… there was absolutely no way anyone was stopping that sea of humanity from flooding the field. Not by a long shot. In the middle of the fourth quarter, it did look like more security had been added to parts around the student section. And let’s say, hypothetically, the students start swarming and each security guard takes one person. Well, that still leaves thousands upon thousands of other students who were just as determined to get down to the field. Not to mention, once the students started to go, the entire lower bowl started to jump over, too.
There was nothing that Tennessee, nor the security, could have done to stop the storming on Saturday night in Knoxville, Tennessee. I mean, just look at the pictures. It would take the National Guard to slow that thing down.
And, while I do not work for the athletics program or pretend to know their financial portfolio, I would say the fine was worth it. Here on Sunday, Tennessee has been the talk of the sports world. Videos and pictures have been swirling around the internet all day. It couldn’t have looked like a more enticing scene to sports fans around the world.
Sports.
Simply the best. pic.twitter.com/eVY7vhcZ6u— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 15, 2022
AND DOWN COME THE GOAL POSTS. pic.twitter.com/rvqD95itt9
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 15, 2022
