SEC announces league will reassess field stormings with new working group

The SEC has announced a new working group on event security. This group’s goal is to review and update policies relating to fans storming the field. On top of this, the group is going to look into new crowd management strategies to promote safety for fans, officials, and players.

This comes less than three weeks after Tennessee fans stormed the field following the team’s win over Alabama. In that field storming, the goalposts were stolen from Neyland Stadium. However, Tennessee is by no means the only school to have field stormings in its history.

“Current Conference policies need to be reviewed and improved with a focus on addressing field and court incursions by spectators after contests,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.

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“The SEC’s Working Group on Event Security will focus its efforts on reviewing existing policies, developing new strategies and identifying best practices to enhance crowd management and more effectively address field and court incursions at future SEC athletics events”

Currently, SEC programs are fined $50,000 for the first time fans storm the field. A second offense is $100,000. A third offense would then be a $250,000 fine. However, it’s unclear if the new working group would consider raising fines.

The working group consists of athletics directors, event management directors, and campus security personnel. Their job is to come up with policy recommendations in time for the 2023 Sec Spring Meeting. Any changes that they come up with will be implemented for the start of the 2023-24 academic year.

Officials from Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Auburn are a part of the working group.

“Providing consistent and appropriate levels of safety and security remains the common goal of SEC member institutions,” Sankey said.  

“Our institutions remain current and vigilant in crowd control best practices and continue to work with local law enforcement to develop effective security protocols at SEC venues and we need to continue the adaptation of Conference policies to address emerging realities.”