NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — For the second weekend in a row, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced Vanderbilt University will need to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars because of fans’ enthusiasm about the Commodores defeating a Top 10 men’s basketball team on their home court.
According to the Associated Press, Vandy beat No. 9 University of Kentucky 74-69 on Saturday, Jan. 25, marking the Commodores’ first victory over the Wildcats at Memorial Gym since 2016. As a result, Vanderbilt fans repeated their actions from the week before and flooded the court.
On Sunday, Jan. 26, the SEC released a statement saying Vandy will be fined for violating the league’s access to competition area policy due to fans entering the court after the basketball game.
Officials said Vanderbilt will need to pay the University of Kentucky $500,000 for a third offense under the league’s current policy, which was revised at the SEC Spring Meetings in 2023.
The 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.’
Financial penalties are imposed for violations in all sports sponsored by the Conference. Institutional penalties range from $100,000 for a first offense, $250,000 for a second offense and $500,000 for a third and subsequent offenses.
The policy was originally adopted by a vote of Conference members in 2004 and financial penalties were increased by action taken by the membership in 2015 and again in 2023.
Press release from the SEC
Vandy’s first offense happened on Oct. 5, 2024, after a historic victory against the University of Alabama, which had the nation’s No. 1 football team at the time.
Not only did Commodore fans swarm the field following the game against the Crimson Tide, but they tore down a goal post, carried it a few miles through downtown Nashville, and tossed it in the Cumberland River. As a result of that incident, the SEC fined Vandy $100,000.
Several months later, on Saturday, Jan. 18, the Commodores beat the University of Tennessee Vols, who were ranked No. 6 at the time, 76-75. Vanderbilt fans stormed the court at the end of the game, which was the first sellout at Memorial Gym since 2019, according to the Associated Press.
The next day, the SEC announced Vandy would need to pay the University of Tennessee $250,000 for that second offense.
