Mike White reveals his involvement level in delayed court storming by Georgia

Georgia stunned No. 3 Florida on Tuesday night after taking a 26-point lead and then watching the whole thing evaporate in the second half.

A final flurry was enough to down the Gators, giving the Bulldogs the chance to celebrate a remarkably rare win against an AP top-five opponent. Fans took full advantage, storming the court.

But they did so after giving Florida players and staffers a chance to clear the floor, likely avoiding a fine from the SEC in the process.

Georgia coach Mike White was asked after the game how involved he was in getting the crowd to temporarily hold its mad rush onto the floor.

“Not at all. I had my hands full, with just hoping we could win by one point,” White said. “That’s it. Yeah. I don’t worry about those things. Our administration does a good job with that stuff.”

Georgia got an unexpected assist from head football coach Kirby Smart, who was sitting courtside during the second half of the game. He and athletics director Josh Brooks seemed to encourage fans to wait and, with the assistance of law enforcement at Stegeman Coliseum, the effort was successful.

Best of both worlds.

“I didn’t know it was coming,” White said of the court storming. “When we got together for our usual post-game conversation, whether it be after a win or a loss, here come the fans. Haven’t talked to our guys about it, but I’m sure they will remember that. Will be a memory for our students and for our guys. Pretty cool celebration.”

The SEC rule on court storming

The actual language of the SEC rule on court storming doesn’t necessarily have a carve-out that would help Georgia avoid a fine, but recent precedent offers some cover.

Mississippi State just last week went through a similar scenario, and the SEC told the Clarion Ledger that it was not fining Mississippi State because fans waited until after the losing team departed the floor.

Here’s the complete SEC rule on court storming, with the rule going into effect well prior to the Georgia edition on Tuesday night (2023).

“Each member institution must provide security and uniformed law enforcement presence around each team and game officials before, during and after the event to prevent contact with spectators,” the statement read in part. “The area where teams and officials are dropped off and their path to/from team areas must be secure and not accessible to the general public. In the event of a field or court rush, use of uniformed law enforcement personnel and equipment (e.g. rope, barricade, expandable tunnels) to secure a clear path off the playing surface for the visiting team, including their personnel (e.g. equipment managers), is required.

“If a field/court rush ensues, the visiting team shall forgo the post-game handshake line and immediately move inside the barricade to their locker room as soon as possible.”