When the Auburn men’s basketball team visits Vanderbilt tonight, the matchup will pit the nation’s top-ranked team against the most-penalized team for field and court storming this school year.
In just the past four months, the Southeastern Conference has levied $850,000 in fines against Vanderbilt. The penalties are part of a combined $2.6 million in fines the SEC has levied against nine of its 16 member schools because fans stormed in celebration after football and men’s basketball victories before visiting teams had left the field or court.
The Vanderbilt tab is for three cases — $100,000 for a football field storm in October and $750,000 for two men’s basketball court storms in January — prompting the school to adopt a new policy that allows postgame celebrations on the court but only after a one-minute delay at the end of a game.
“If we’re fortunate enough to win, we need a new way to celebrate,” first-year head men’s basketball coach Mark Byington said in a video announcement sent to students Friday.
The school says the new approach for men’s and women’s basketball games would let fans enjoy a big win while giving players, coaches and officials time to safely leave the court. It also could reduce the chance of additional SEC fines — money that…
