LSU and Ole Miss have both been fined by the SEC for violations of conference rules. The Tigers will be the second school fined $250,000 this season for fans throwing trash and debris on to the playing surface, while the Rebels will be fined $350,000 for fans rushing the field.
The fine levied against Ole Miss came after fans rushed the field following a 28-10 victory over Georgia. Typically, a second fine for field rushing or court storming would incur a $250,000 penalty (Ole Miss was previously fined after last year’s win over LSU), but the Rebels were fined an additional $100,000 for fans reaching the field before the game finished. Fines for storming the field are paid to directly to the opponent, so Georgia leaves Oxford a little richer.
LSU’s fine came after fans threw trash onto the field to contest a controversial call in a 42-13 loss against Alabama. Trailing 21-6 in the third quarter, Tigers were called for a facemask on a third-down play that could have gotten them the ball back; instead, the penalty helped set up a 19-yard touchdown run from Jalen Milroe that iced the game.
The Tigers will be fined for the incident under the sportsmanship, game management and alcohol availability policies set by the SEC. Additionally, the school must use video and security evidence to identify any fans throwing trash and ban them from LSU athletic events for the rest of the 2024-25 academic year. The school will also have to update its game day procedures and submit a report for the SEC.
If there’s a recurrence of the issue at further LSU home games, the SEC reserves the right to ban alcohol sales at games. The punishment is consistent with the one handed down to Texas after its Oct. 19 game against Georgia.
Fans throwing debris onto the field has become a recurring issue in college football since Texas fans caused a disruption in its 30-15 loss to Georgia. After the stoppage, the officials overturned a pass interference penalty that helped set up one of two touchdowns for Texas. In recent weeks, Clemson and Michigan fans similarly threw trash onto the field to protest a call. A BYU cheer coach allegedly lost consciousness after getting hit by a water bottle while playing Utah last Saturday.
“Now we’ve set a precedent that if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes that you’ve got a chance to get your call reversed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the Texas game. “And that’s unfortunate because, to me, that’s dangerous. That’s not what we want.”