SEC punishes Tennessee for fans storming Neyland Stadium field following Alabama upset

The SEC has fined Tennessee $100,000 for its fans storming the field after the Volunteers’ 24-17 win over No. 7 Alabama on Saturday. The fine is per the SEC policy for field storming, which was established in June 2023 and states that fines are owed to the opposing institution.

Tennessee fans had not stormed the field since this new policy was implemented. Thus, this is considered a first-time offense; hence, the minimum $100,000 fine. Per the policy, a second offense is a $250,000 fine and the school must pay $500,000 after its third offense.

If the updated policy hadn’t reset the schools’ offense counts, Tennessee would be reaching even deeper into its pockets. Volunteers fans also stormed the field when Tennessee defeated Alabama in October 2022, tearing down the goalposts and carrying them away from Neyland Stadium.

While Tennessee won’t be happy about the fine, it’s safe to assume the school won’t lose any sleep over the extra cost. The Volunteers’ win on Saturday had massive implications for the team’s College Football Playoff hopes.

The only remaining ranked opponent in the regular season for Tennessee is Georgia. With the win over Alabama, Tennessee may be able to lose to the Bulldogs and still earn a spot in the 12-team CFP.

More on Tennessee’s stunning victory

It was a comeback win for the Volunteers on Saturday. They scored all 24 of their points in the second half after trailing Alabama early. The Volunteers’ defense was pivotal in the win, holding Alabama to 314 total yards of offense and forcing three turnovers.

Most notably, Tennessee defensive back Will Brooks picked off Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe with 1:24 left in the fourth quarter to seal the Volunteers’ victory. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel couldn’t be prouder of his team.

“This group believes that it’s really good and if they played 11 guys together, play physical, got a chance to be more special. And it played really well tonight,” Heupel said after the game. “This team’s got a lot of confidence. They also know that we got to improve. But on a Saturday night at the end of it, no matter how we got there, they’re able to appreciate a win.

“There were obstacles that, as a program, we had had to navigate and overcome. And as a coaching staff and administration, our players did it in a pretty special way. Not perfect, but pretty special way. As a program we got to improve this year. But I do really just feel like we’re just getting stronger as a program.”