FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The University of Arkansas has been fined $250,000 for storming the field after the football team’s 19-14 win over fourth-ranked Tennessee on Saturday night.
The SEC said this is Arkansas’s second offense under the new policy. The first offense was when the Arkansas basketball team upset No. 9 Duke in November 2023.
Since the field storming occurred during the conference contest, the fine will be paid to Tennessee, according to the SEC.
The new conference policy, which was revised at SEC Media Days in 2023, says fines are $100,000 for a first offense, $250,000 for a second offense and $500,000 for a third or more offenses.
“Institutions shall limit access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times,” the policy said. “For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest may spectators enter the competition area.”
The policy was originally adopted in 2004 and the financial penalties were increased in 2015 and again last year.
“I think the [athletic director] is gonna be mad or maybe he won’t be, but right now, I don’t care,” Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman jokingly said to ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the historic win.
Before Saturday night’s win, Arkansas had stormed the field two other times since the policy was adopted, one in 2014 after the Razorbacks upset LSU and the other in 2021 when Arkansas rolled past Texas.
The SEC also announced Vanderbilt would be fined $100,000 after the Commodores knocked off No. 1 Alabama for their first-ever win over a top-five team. That was Vanderbilt’s first offense.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
