• Loading stock data...
Monday, February 17, 2025

Vanderbilt Has Racked Up $850,000 in Fines for Court Storming This School Year

Vanderbilt had a huge football season and is having a strong basketball season, but big wins have come at a cost to the Nashville school known for its academics.

Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There’s an old adage in sports: Act like you’ve been there before. Vanderbilt may not have heard it.

The Commodores upset No. 9 Kentucky on Saturday 74-69 to improve to 16–4, after being picked last in the Southeastern Conference preseason poll. 

It was Vanderbilt’s second top-10 win in the past week, and it ended with students storming the court, just as they did after Vanderbilt took down Tennessee last Saturday.  

Conference rules fine schools for storming the court or field, and Vanderbilt, a school known for its academics, has been the SEC’s biggest offender. 

In the fall, students stormed the football field after the Commodores beat No. 5 Alabama in what was one of the biggest wins in school history. The result was a $100,000 fine, which went to Alabama, per conference rules. (Alabama earned $400,000 from field-storming fines this past football season, as all three of its losses saw the winning fan base end up on the field.) 

A second offense in the same school year costs a school $250,000, and that went to Tennessee. Saturday made the Commodores a third-time offender, resulting in a $500,000 fine, which goes to Kentucky.

That’s $850,000 in court-storming fines Vanderbilt owes from this academic year so far. 

The school tried to stop it: Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee was seen in Memorial Gymnasium’s student section asking students not to rush the court because of the financial bite it would take on the department’s ability to recruit. 

Let us use the money for NIL to make a great team next year,” Lee said, according to The Vanderbilt Hustler, the school’s student paper. 

As third-time offenders, Vanderbilt will continue to get fined $500,000 for any further court-storming fines for the rest of the season.

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said he has no issue with the court-storming for now, but hopes the program gets to a place where big wins are expected and routine. 

“There’s big picture things I wanted to happen around here, and at one point I want it to be where we’re not surprised, and we don’t feel like the underdog in these games, and we’re going into them knowing that our program is good and we expect to win,” Byington said. “We’re not there yet. So let the fans enjoy it. We’ve got to start a GoFundMe page or something to pay fines. We’ll figure it out.”

The Commodores could still recoup all these fines by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Teams that make the Big Dance get around $2 million.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team United States forward Dylan Larkin (21) plays the puck and Team Canada forward Nathan MacKinnon (29) defends in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre

NHL Has Huge Ratings Hit With U.S.-Canada 4 Nations Face-Off

The ratings mark a massive hit for the league’s new event.
Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung competes in the slam dunk competition during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center

Mac McClung’s Dunk Contest Winnings Eclipse His NBA Guaranteed Salary

The three-time dunk contest champion has played just five career NBA games.
Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team United States forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Team Canada forward brandon Hagel (38) fight in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre.

Inside the Push for the NHL’s Next Era of International Competition

Players have been clamoring, and the league is all in.

YouTube TV, Paramount Agree on New Deal

The multiyear distribution agreement resolves an increasingly fractious carriage dispute.

Featured Today

Feb 18, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Eastern Conference guard Damian Lillard (0) of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after a play during the second half of the 73rd NBA All Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
February 15, 2025

The NBA’s Latest Attempt To Solve the All-Star Game Conundrum

A new mini-tournament on a lame-duck network may not solve the problem.
Jan 9, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) checks Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena
February 11, 2025

‘Important’ 4 Nations Face-Off Can Be NHL’s All-Star Antidote

“The stars have been lobbying the league for an event like this.”
Brady and Mahomes
February 8, 2025

Chiefs Fatigue Is Real. It’s Nowhere Near Patriots Hate Yet

People who have covered both teams say the difference is stark.
Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron celebrates a turnover against Clemson Tigers in thein the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoffs on Dec. 21, 2024, at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

NBC’s Chris Simms: College Football ‘Messed Up’ With NIL Era

Even with caps on revenue sharing, some schools can still spend more.
February 13, 2025

What Has to Happen Next for Flag Football to Become an NCAA..

Flag football is one step closer to being a full-fledged college sport.
February 14, 2025

Notre Dame Latest CFB Team to Hire GM From NFL

Notre Dame has hired a Lions front office executive.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
February 13, 2025

Players Seek Better Deal With EA Sports College Football

Players will get $1,500 upfront.
February 13, 2025

Caitlin Clark Effect: Lasting Impact on Women’s College Hoops Viewership?

Women’s March Madness starts March 16 with Selection Sunday.
NC State women's cross country
February 12, 2025

Trump Education Department Pulls Biden’s NIL Pay Equity Rule

The Biden Administration had issued the guidance in its final days.
Ashton Jeanty
February 12, 2025

Ashton Jeanty on the Group of 5’s NFL Superpower

To Jeanty, development and playing time can lead to “life-changing” NFL money.