Vanderbilt is being fined $250,000 by the Southeastern Conference after fans rushed the court to celebrate an upset victory of No. 6 Tennessee on Wednesday.
The SEC said Friday that it was Vanderbilt’s fourth violation of the league’s access to competition area policy.
Vanderbilt fans rushed the floor Tuesday when Tyrin Lawrence drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Commodores a 66-65 victory. Vanderbilt snapped an 11-game skid against the Volunteers, their in-state rivals.
The fine is Vanderbilt’s second in three months. The university also was docked $250,000 when fans ran on to the field after a 31-24 football victory over Florida on Nov. 19.
The SEC policy states that “access to competition areas shall be limited to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly-credentialed individuals at all times. For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest shall spectators be permitted to enter the competition area. It is the responsibility of each member institution to implement procedures to ensure compliance with this policy.”
According to the SEC, violations of the policy call for fines of $50,000 for a first offense, up to $100,000 for a second offense and up to $250,000 for a third and subsequent offenses.
–Field Level Media
