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After beating Alabama for only the tenth time in school history, Ole Miss fans rushed the field and tore down the goalposts. After defeating Steve Spurrier for only the second time in 22 tries, Kentucky fans stormed their football field as well. The SEC will take some of your money for that. Between the two schools, it will collect $75,000 in fines.
"Saturday's games were filled with excitement and celebration for a number of schools across the SEC last weekend, but significant risk of injury for student-athletes and fans alike can result from incidents such as these," said SEC commissioner Mike Slive. "Health and safety will always be a top priority at SEC athletic events."
There are legal liability reasons for doing this, and I understand the safety argument; people have been injured and even killed when tearing down the goal posts. My problem with it is that people do risky things that can result in death all the time, and we don't fine them for it. There's also a question about whether this is going to prevent anyone from tearing down the goalposts -- it's not. If you fined all the fans who did it $50 apiece, it might make a difference, but I doubt even that would end the tradition.
At least the money is going to what at least sounds like a good cause.
@AaronSuttles @SECherbvin SEC Post-Graduate awards scholarship fund
— Chuck Dunlap (@SEC_Chuck) October 5, 2014
And it's not even really that much money for an SEC athletics department. But I can't help but thinking there are more important things the conference could be spending its time on.