FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — The Arkansas Razorbacks are being fined $250,000 after a field rush following their Oct. 5 win over Tennessee saw crowds of people storming the playing field.
On Oct. 6, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced that Arkansas will be fined $250,000 as this is their second violation.
The SEC policy states that "institutions shall limit access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times. For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during, or after a contest may spectators enter the competition area.”
5NEWS spoke to some U of A students who didn't seem particularly regretful after storming the field, even after hearing about the fine imposed on the school.
"I think if we win against LSU in two weeks, we'll do it again," said one.
"It was worth it. Honestly, it's an experience we haven't had in a while so it was pretty awesome to be there. It's worth every single penny every single time we do it. It's about the culture," said another student. "If it means my tuition goes up, that's all right."
A video posted to an official Razorback Football social media page shows a crowd of fans running onto the field right after the Hogs's 19-14 win over the Tennessee Volunteers:
Tennessee's Vanderbilt University was also fined $100,000 for a first-offense field rush that happened on Oct. 5.
An Arkansas athletics department spokesperson tells 5NEWS that the athletics department is responsible for paying the fine, but there is not a timetable for the payment.
The Arkansas Razorbacks (4-2) were hoping for an upset and they got one as they took on the No. 4 ranked Tennessee Volunteers (4-1) in Donald W. Reynolds Stadium in Fayetteville.
When told that the fines would increase as the number of offenses went up, one U of A student said "That's great. We're gonna have to get to half a million."
For more about the game, check out our separate article here.
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