SEC Fines University Of Tennessee After Fan Interruption During Ole Miss Game

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The Southeastern Conference has handed the University of Tennessee a financial penalty and must meet requirements set forth by the Commissioner following the interruption of its Oct. 16 football game with Ole Miss due to fans throwing debris on to the field. The Volunteers lost to the Rebels 35-28 in front of a sold out crowd at Neyland Stadium of about 100,000 fans.

The final minute of the Ole Miss-Tennessee football game was interrupted and delayed when some fans threw objects onto the playing field, interrupting the competitive opportunity for both teams, endangering contest participants, and prompting relocation of the University of Tennessee marching band and members of cheerleading squad, according to the statement from the SEC.

“The disruption of Saturday night’s game is unacceptable and cannot be repeated on any SEC campus,” says SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Today’s actions are consistent with the oversight assigned by the membership to the SEC office, including the financial penalty and review of alcohol availability. We will use this opportunity to reemphasize to each SEC member the importance of providing a safe environment even with the intensity of competition that occurs every week. We will also reengage our membership in further review of the alcohol availability policy to consider additional measures for the sale and management of alcohol while providing the appropriate environment for collegiate competition.”

Under the sportsmanship, game management, and alcohol availability policies established by the Southeastern Conference, the University of Tennessee will:

  • Be assessed a financial penalty of $250,000, which will be deducted from the University’s share of SEC revenue distribution.
  • Be required to use all available resources, including security, stadium and television video, to identify individuals who threw objects on to the playing field or at the opposing team. All individuals identified as having been involved in disrupting the game shall be prohibited from attending Tennessee Athletics events for the remainder of the 2021-22 academic and athletic year.
  • Review and update its Athletics Department game management procedures and alcohol availability policies to prevent a recurrence of Saturday night’s disruption, which shall include an evaluation of agreed upon SEC Sportsmanship, Game Management and Alcohol policies to verify full compliance with existing standards.
  • Following completion of this review and prior to the University of Tennessee’s next home football game, the University shall provide a report to the Conference Office to summarize its efforts to identify and penalize offenders and its plan to enact policies to prevent future similar incidents while ensuring compliance with Conference standards.

Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White released a statement via Twitter regarding the SEC’s decision to fine and penalized the university. He emphasized the priority for the safety of the players and fans as well as apologized the Ole Miss football program.

The actions taken by the Conference are consistent with SEC Commissioner’s Regulations related to the availability of alcoholic beverages at athletics events which states, “If cans or plastic bottles are used as projectiles or otherwise cause game management issues, the institution is subject to an immediate fine and suspension of the alcohol sales privilege.”

The Conference is not suspending alcohol sales privileges for the University of Tennessee at this time but reserves the right to do so if other requirements outlined above are not met.

Steven Boero
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