Vanderbilt and Arkansas receive six-figure fines after fans storm the field in surprise wins

After an eventful college football weekend, two winners pay the price.

On Monday, the SEC issued six-figure fines to Vanderbilt and Arkansas after fans stormed the field after the two schools beat top-five opponents. Arkansas came from behind to beat then-No. 4 Tennessee on Saturday, while Vanderbilt defeated then-No. 1 Alabama.

The losses dropped Alabama and Tennessee to No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, in the AP poll.

Vanderbilt was fined $100,000 because fans stormed the field after the victory, the school's first win over a No. 1 team. Fans tore down a goal post and carried it more than two miles from the stadium to throw it into the Cumberland River. Eventually the poles were fished out of the river by the Nashville Fire Department.

Arkansas, meanwhile, was fined $250,000 for Saturday's field storm, a second offense. Arkansas students stormed the court after defeating Duke in men's basketball last November, and the school was subsequently fined $100,000.

Both cases constituted a violation of the SEC's “competition area access policy,” which requires schools to restrict the field or court to authorized personnel.

The SEC increased fines for fans storming fields and courts in 2023, with the first offense increasing from $50,000 to $100,000. Under the new guidelines, it will cost the school $500,000 if Arkansas fans storm again. Fines will be paid to the opposing school in accordance with SEC rules.

Suddenly in need of some extra money, Vanderbilt has held an auction selling souvenirs of the victory. Four-inch pieces of the goal posts cost $1,005, while 8-inch pieces cost $4,035; On Monday morning, both sold out in less than 12 hours. Also included are pylons (sold for $1,000 each as of Monday), the game balls (more than $4,000 as of Monday) and a personalized game helmet, which went from $7,000 to $30,000 in a matter of hours on Monday morning was. The auction runs until Thursday.