ACC fines Florida State for storming field after upsetting Alabama

Florida State pulled the first upset of the season on Saturday with their 31-17 win over No. 8 Alabama, leading to a field-storming at Doak Campbell Stadium. With that, the Atlantic Coast Conference has now handed down its first fine of the year under their new policy.

Per a release on Monday, the ACC has fined Florida State for a violation of the league’s new event security policy with their field storm after beating the Crimson Tide. The first offense by the Seminoles will result in a $50,000 fine.

“The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that Florida State University has been fined for violation of the league’s event security policy following its football game versus the University of Alabama on August 30. The violation occurred when fans entered the field of play after the conclusion of the contest. The conference’s event security policy is designed to protect the safety and well-being of all student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans,” the release read. “In accordance with ACC policy, Florida State will incur a fine of $50,000 for a first offense. All fines collected under the policy are directed to the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Fund, which benefits ACC student-athletes pursuing graduate education.”

The ACC announced this new policy, which applies to football and both men’s and women’s basketball, back at their media days on July 22nd. For a breach, a school will pay $50,000 on the first offense, $100,000 on the second, and then $200,000 on their third offense and from every time on from there, with those fines going into that scholarship account to support other student-athletes around the conference.

Considering what this win represented in Tallahassee, $50,000 may feel well worth it to the Seminoles. That’s with Florida State, coming off one of their worst records in school history at 2-10, opening this season by winning by two scores over a top-ten team in No. 8 Alabama. They did it in a dominant-type fashion too based on how many questions have come about the Crimson Tide since the upset on Saturday afternoon.

It then had to feel even better considering the reaction to the comments made by QB Thomas Castellanos this offseason, with he and his team backing that up against ‘Bama. Plus, going back two seasons, Alabama was the team that took the final spot from Florida State, who was an undefeated conference champion, in the CFP in 2023. Again, all that considered from the past year and eight months for this program, there was a lot for this program to celebrate from this victory.

A five-figure fine is still a decent chunk of change to give away by FSU. However, considering what they did this weekend at Doak Campbell, the ‘Noles are likely alright paying this first-ever offense against the new policy set on the matter in the Atlantic Coast Conference.