SEC’s Shocking New Penalties for Field Storming: Are Schools Ready to Face the Consequences?

You know, it’s funny how something as spontaneous as storming the field or court—a raw, unfiltered burst of jubilation—can turn into a sticking point for an entire conference. Well, the SEC just shook things up ahead of the 2025-26 season with a fresh playbook on these fan invasions. Instead of escalating fines piling up like a bad call, they’re laying down a flat $500,000 penalty when teams get a bit too wild on the playing surface. But here’s the twist: if they let the opposing team and officials clear out before fans descend, no fine at all. Greg Sankey, in what could be his final word on the matter during the spring meetings, emphasized a respectful pause to let visitors exit first—pretty much saying, “Hey, celebrate all you want. Just give the other side a bit of breathing room.” It’s a calculated change born out of repeated incidents—field storms aren’t just a one-off anymore. Slipping into that fine print, though? There can’t be any mingling between the rushing fans and the visiting squads if schools want to dodge that half-million penalty. This approach aims to keep the spirit alive without spiraling into chaos. And here’s the kicker—money from violations either helps the visiting teams or boosts the conference’s scholarship fund, depending on the matchup. Balancing celebration with order—no small feat. Feel like this marks a smarter, more measured future for SEC sports? I do. LEARN MORE“If you are the one rushed, no matter how problematic the situation is, if it’s only the first time on campus, it’s 0,000,” Sankey said. “It may be a lot more. So the motivation was field rushing is field rushing, the first time or the 18th time. We’ll offer an outlet of a delayed field rush where let the visitors exit, let the officials exit. Then you go. That goes to zero.”MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — The SEC conference has officially changed its policy on field and court storming scenarios ahead of the 2025-26 academic year.Sankey said to secure no fines, there must be no interactions “period” between a visiting team and the rushing team’s fans.

The 0,000 fee will continue to go to the visiting team if incurred. If the field or court storm happens during a non-conference game, Sankey said the fine will continue to go to the conference’s post-graduate scholarship fund.Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at[email protected] or follow him@_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

In a May 28 press conference, Sankey said football field storms could be harder to police than basketball, which he still called not easy.”We’ll welcome your celebration,” Sankey said. “Let’s let the team, the visiting institutions depart.”“I don’t think any of it is easy,” Sankey said. “It has to be done with intent.”League commissioner Greg Sankey, in his final press conference at league’s spring meetings, announced that violations of the SEC’s access to competition area policy will incite a flat fee of 0,000 instead of escalating fees that were set in 2023. However, Sankey said that if schools allow for visiting teams and officials to exit the field of play before fans rush the field or court, a fine will not be given.Sankey said the increased frequency of court and field rushes in the past three years invoked “meaningful conversation” about a policy change.