tennessee-field-storm.jpg
USATSI

Tennessee has been fined $100,000 after fans rushed the field to celebrate the No. 3 Volunteers beating No. 6 Alabama for the first time in 16 years. The celebration violated the SEC's Access to Competition Area Policy, which results in an automatic fine for the school. 

The violation is the second committed by Tennessee since the SEC initiated the policy. The first came when Tennessee basketball upset future national champion No. 2 Florida in 2006. Per SEC policy, the first violation carries a $50,000 fine, the second a $100,000 fine and any subsequent violations would carry a $250,000 fine. All fines are collected in the SEC Post-Graduate Scholarship Fund. 

If there's any question, administrators at Tennessee are wholly unbothered by having to pay the fine after perhaps the biggest win of the 21st century for the program. University of Tennessee president Randy Boyd was asked on camera how much the field storming would cost the university. 

"It doesn't matter," Boyd said while holding a celebratory cigar. "We're going to do this every year." 

Pandemonium reigned after then-No. 6 Tennessee upset then-No. 3 Alabama behind five touchdown passes from quarterback Hendon Hooker. Kicker Chase McGrath nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired to send Tennessee to 6-0 in just the second year of the Josh Heupel era. 

After the game, fans tore down the goalposts and carried them out of the stadium and into the Tennessee River. Tennessee quickly turned it into a clever fundraising strategy by launching a crowdfunding effort to replace the goalposts in time for the Vols' game next week against UT-Martin. Donation tiers included $16 (seasons since Tennessee beat Alabama), $52.49 (score of the game) and $1,019.15 (the number of fans at the game). As of Sunday afternoon, the fundraising effort had already cleared $30,000 in donations.