SEC schools could be fined up to $250k for storming field

Steven J. Gaither

SEC schools could be fined up to $250k for storming field image

Storming the field is a rite of passage in college football circles after big games.

It will soon come with a big fine in the Southeastern Conference thanks to new rules passed by the conference on Friday.

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The conference has decided to increase its first-offense penalty to $50,000. That climbs to $150,000 for second-time offenders and $250,000 for every offense after that.

"When we did it, $5,000 had a little ring to it," outgoing commissioner Mike Slive told AL.com of the fines the league set in 2004. "Five thousand dollars now, given where we are, is not much of a deterrent." 

Nine of the league’s 14 schools have been hit with fines since 2004. Only Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and Texas A&M have not.

"There's only so much security you can put out there," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said. "You can't have armed guards and horses out there. I hope our fans and all of the fans in the league will realize it's all about safety. It's all about the safety of the players and the fans to stay in the stands and hopefully they'll comply with that."

LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Missouri and Kentucky were all given fines last year.

"I think schools will do more, but there's only so much you can do,” Alleva said. "You can't build a wall around the field. You can't put up barbed wire. You can't have horses and guns out there. There's a line of how much you can do."

Steven J. Gaither