After an eventful weekend of college football, two winners are paying the price.
On Monday, the SEC ruled six figure fines to Vanderbilt and Arkansas after fans stormed the field following the two schools’ wins over top-five opponents. Arkansas rallied to defeat then-No. 4 Tennessee on Saturday, while Vanderbilt defeated then-No. 1Alabama.
Alabama and Tennessee fell to seventh and eighth, respectively, in the AP poll as a result of the losses.
Vanderbilt was fined $100,000 for fans storming the field after the win, which was the school’s first win over a No. 1 team. Fans tore down a goal post and carried it more than two miles from the stadium to throw it into the Cumberland River. Eventually, the Nashville Fire Department pulled the poles from the river.
Meanwhile, Arkansas has been fined $250,000 for Saturday’s field assault as a result of it being a second violation. Arkansas students stormed the court after defeating Duke in men’s basketball last November, and the school was fined $100,000 as a result.
Both instances violated the SEC’s “competition area access policy,” which requires schools to keep the field or court limited to authorized personnel.
He SEC increased fines for fans who storm fields and courts in 2023, and the first offense will increase from $50,000 to $100,000. Under the new guidelines, if Arkansas fans attack again, it will cost the school $500,000. Fines are paid to the opposing school, according to SEC rules.
Suddenly I need some extra money, Vanderbilt has launched an auction to sell memorabilia of victory. Four-inch goal post pieces cost $1,005, while eight-inch pieces cost $4,035; As of Monday morning, both had sold out in less than 12 hours. Also included are pylons (which were selling for $1,000 each as of Monday), game balls (more than $4,000 as of Monday), and a custom game helmet, which had been shot from $7,000 to $30,000 in a few hours on Monday morning. The auction will run until Thursday.