Big 12 fines Baylor for fans rushing the field after win over Oklahoma

It’s easy to see why Baylor fans rushed the field after beating Oklahoma last weekend. But with great celebration comes great consequence, and the Big 12 announced the price of it Tuesday morning.

Baylor was fined $25,000 because the fans rushed the field after the Bears beat Oklahoma 27-14 at McLane Stadium. In fact, fans ran onto the field twice. They did so with one second left, then again once the game ended.

“We have a duty to ensure a safe game environment that provides the visiting team secure egress from the field for players, staff and support personnel, and protection of the team bench area,” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “I appreciate Baylor’s advance planning and communication, and although well planned, the end-of-game circumstances made its field storming plan impossible to execute, resulting in an interruption of play, impeding the visiting team from reaching their locker room and damage to OU bench area equipment.”

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley wasn’t happy when fans ran onto the field early and was seen yelling at the referees. No flag was thrown, and Baylor ended up kicking a field goal as time expired to seal the 27-14 win. After the game, Riley said the field goal went against the “code of sportsmanship.”

Baylor improved to 5-2 in Big 12 play with the victory. The Bears are third in the league behind Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, which are both 6-1 in league play.

Lincoln Riley explains why he yelled at referees during Oklahoma’s loss to Baylor

As Baylor fans took to the field before the game had even ended, Riley lost his cool at the referees. He sent his entire team and most of the coaching staff to the locker room, despite Baylor’s offense needing one last play to end the game. Before the players re-emerged from the locker room, Riley was seen yelling at the referees, and he explained the encounter after the game ended.

“It was a safety issue,” Riley said afterward. “I care about the safety of my players and I watched David Ugwoegbu get bum rushed by three guys while I’m pulling them off, he’s pulling them off.”

Eventually, the Sooners came back from the locker room. But instead of lining up 11 men for a quarterback kneel, Aranda instead decided to kick a field goal and extend its lead with no time left. Of course, it ended with a second field rush.

“I know why Dave [Aranda] kicked the field goal,” Riley said. “I don’t agree with it. I still think above all else, there’s a code of sportsmanship that I believe in. I wouldn’t have done it, but that’s his decision. It’s his football team.”