SEC to consider harsher penalties for field-storming, including the loss of a home game, forfeiting wins

Fans storming the field after a big win feels like a tradition throughout college sports. It’s a way of sharing in the moment with the team and community. However, the SEC has made it clear that they want this practice to end, levying massive fines to teams that see their fans take the field in mass numbers.

Now, Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated is reporting that the SEC is considering harsher penalties for field storming. Among those punishments being considered are the forfeiture of home games.

In other words, when Tennessee beats Alabama, if Volunteers fans take to the field at Neyland Stadium, then Tennessee would lose its next home game against the Crimson Tide. That means that Alabama would get three straight home games in the series.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey appointed a conference working group on event safety last fall. That was less than three weeks after Tennessee fans did take to the field after beating Alabama. A couple of days later, LSU fans took the field at Death Valley after beating Alabama themselves.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, Georgia AD Josh Brooks, and Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart have headed the group since then.

All SEC athletic directors are expected to be presented with the proposal soon. After that, it will likely be taken to the presidents and chancellors at SEC spring meetings in Destin. That runs from May 30-June 2.

Losing future home games is one option being discussed. Another is forfeiting the game that had been won during the field storming incident. However, that’s considered an unlikely measure.

There are good reasons why the SEC wants to keep fans off the field. Simply put, it isn’t a safe practice for players or fans, and incidents that occur during a field storming don’t end at fans pulling up some turf and smoking a victory cigar.

Alabama’s Jermaine Burton allegedly struck a Tennessee fan, while several fans were injured rushing the field at a Coastal Carolina game. So, it’s not like there is no basis for the SEC’s caution.

One thing is clear, with the amount of money SEC schools are now making, fines no longer present a sufficient punishment to dissuade. So, if the SEC wants to maintain order, there needs to be a more severe, even draconian, punishment installed.

As one administrator pointed out, only one team needs to get hit with that severe of a punishment and it would likely never happen again. Administrators would find a way to stop it.

The fact that field-rushing still happens means that the fine structure hasn’t solved all of our problems,” Sankey said. “I would expect some level of updates as we go into the year ahead, one of which is a higher expectation for security around the visiting team when those field incursions take place.”