NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is fining Vanderbilt $250,000 for fans rushing the court after the Commodores upset No. 6 Tennessee on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
The league announced the fine Friday for violating the SEC policy limiting access to the competition area. This is Vanderbilt’s fourth offense and second in three months. Vanderbilt also was docked $250,000 in November for fans coming onto the field following a 31-24 win over Florida on Nov. 19.
Teammates mobbed Tyrin Lawrence after his 3-pointer from the right corner in front of the Vanderbilt bench snapped an 11-game skid to in-state rival Tennessee with a 66-65 victory Wednesday night, the biggest win yet of coach Jerry Stackhouse’s four-year tenure. Students and other fans quickly ran onto the court to celebrate.
Security lined the court, and Vanderbilt made an announcement warning fans to stay off the court with about a minute left in the tight game.
The SEC announced in November a group is reviewing its policies on fans coming onto fields or courts with rules expected to be updated for the 2023-24 season. Currently, fines for such violations go to the SEC’s Post-Graduate Scholarship Fund.
A member’s first offense costs $50,000, $100,000 for the second and up to $250,000 after that. League members adopted the original policy in 2004 with fines hiked during the 2015 SEC spring meetings.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25