Vanderbilt and Arkansas have been fined after their fans stormed the field following upset victories.
The SEC has fined Vanderbilt and Arkansas after their fans stormed the field following upset victories on Saturday.
Arkansas received a $250,000 fine after their 19-14 win against then-No. 4 Tennessee, as this is their second offense. Any future offenses will result in a $500,000 fine. This win marked Arkansas’ first home victory over a top-five opponent since defeating No. 3 Tennessee in 1999.
Vanderbilt, fined $100,000 for a first offense, earned the penalty after their 40-35 win over then-No. 1 Alabama. This was the school’s first-ever victory over a top-ranked team.
Following the game, fans tore down a goalpost and threw it into the Cumberland River, 2.5 miles from the stadium. Metro Nashville firefighters retrieved it from the river, and Vanderbilt capitalized on the situation by auctioning off pieces of the goalpost.
Both incidents violated the SEC’s competition area access policy, which mandates that “institutions must restrict access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support staff, and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times.”
