Greg Byrne suggests forfeits as a fix to field and court storming: 'That will stop it'

As the debate around field and court storming in college sports, Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne reiterated his solution. He suggested forfeits as a fix to the issue.

Conferences such as the SEC fine teams whose fans rush the playing surface after an upset victory. However, it continues to happen in both basketball and football. Most recently, Vanderbilt received a $500,000 fine from the SEC after storming the court following an upset of Kentucky in Nashville.

To Byrne, calling the game a forfeit after the fans leave the stands for the field or court could be the solution. He pointed to safety as the main issue.

“I think from a safety standpoint, keeping people off the fields and courts is a good thing for everybody involved,” Byrne told ESPN. “If we said that the home team, if they storm the field or the court, they’re going to lose the game right then and there, that will stop it.”

Greg Byrne: ‘Let’s have a great environment’

This isn’t the first time Byrne suggested forfeits as an idea to stop court-storming. He previously did so last basketball season after Duke star Kyle Filipowski appeared to get hurt as Wake Forest fans came down from the stands.

Byrne noted it’s not necessarily a majority view. That said, he’s open to other ideas if any were to come up in the conversation.

“I’m not overly optimistic and understand it’s not a popular opinion in a lot of people’s view,” Byrne said. “I’ll get criticized for it, and that’s okay. I do believe in it. If somebody can come up with something that’s a better idea that does not include that, I’m all for it.

“I’m not saying that’s the only possible way. I’m convinced, in my own simple mind, that that would be something that would stop it.”

Instead of rushing the playing surface, Greg Byrne said fans should instead have a good time in the stands. But he also suggested letting the players leave before allowing those in attendance to celebrate on the field or court, pointing again to the safety side of his argument.

“Let’s celebrate up in the stands,” Byrne said. “Let’s have a great environment. I’d even be fine if you say, let’s give it three minutes to get the team off the field. Then, if they want to come down and celebrate, great.”