Tennessee receives penalty from SEC for throwing trash, delaying game
The Southeastern Conference took swift action in response to Tennessee’s trash-throwing incident against Ole Miss, announcing Monday that the university will be assessed a $250,000 fine, among other punishments.
“The disruption of Saturday night’s game is unacceptable and cannot be repeated on any SEC campus,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said of Tennessee’s actions in a press release. “Today’s actions are consistent with the oversight assigned by the membership to the SEC office, including the financial penalty and review of alcohol availability. We will use this opportunity to reemphasize to each SEC member the importance of providing a safe environment even with the intensity of competition that occurs every week. We will also reengage our membership in further review of the alcohol availability policy to consider additional measures for the sale and management of alcohol while providing the appropriate environment for collegiate competition.”
In addition to the $250,000 fine, which will be deducted from the school’s annual SEC revenue distribution share, Tennessee must use “all available resources” to identify individuals guilty of throwing trash and delaying the game.
As of Monday afternoon, the University of Tennessee Police Department had arrested 18 fans, while ejecting 47 more from Saturday’s game. Tennessee must also update its game management procedures and alcohol availability policies to prevent similar events from taking place, and those policies must be agreed upon by the SEC, per release.
Lastly, prior to Tennessee’s next home game — Nov. 13 against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs — the university is required to provide a report to the SEC summarizing its efforts to both identify and penalize offenders, as well as its plans to prevent future similar events from taking place.
Tennessee fans throw trash, pelt Lane Kiffin
Tennessee on Saturday was facing fourth-and-24 late in the fourth quarter, when quarterback Hendon Hooker completed a pass to Jacob Warren close to the first-down mark. The referees’ mark spotted Warren less than a yard short of the first down, and in protest of the call, chaos ensued from Tennessee fans.
Trash was thrown onto the field, primarily from the student section, some of which was aimed at the Ole Miss sideline. Former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin, who made his return to Neyland Stadium as the Ole Miss head coach, seemed to be hit with a golf ball in the tirade, which was caught on the ESPN broadcast.
Tennessee cheerleaders were escorted to the locker room to avoid injury, and the Volunteers’ marching band soon followed suit. Ole Miss players, including Kiffin, vacated the bench and took to the playing field, where they were out of the stands’ range. The game was delayed for roughly 20 minutes, and a forfeit warning was issued at Neyland Stadium before play finally resumed.
“The conference has established expectations for behavior and sportsmanship, and the actions of fans at Saturday night’s game were unacceptable under any circumstances,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “We are accustomed to intense competition every week, but under no circumstances is it acceptable to endanger the contest participants and disrupt a game.
“We will review existing Conference policies and the Commissioner’s authority to impose penalties and communicate with the leadership at the University of Tennessee – and all of the SEC’s member universities – to make certain this situation is not repeated.”
Sankey and the SEC has not yet imposed any punishment on Tennessee. Commissioner Plowman, who seems to be aiding UTPD in its efforts to make arrests, issued a statement after the contest in which she labeled the behavior sickening.
“I am astonished and sickened by the behavior of some Vol fans at the end of tonight’s game,” Plowman tweeted after the game. “Good sportsmanship must be part of who we are as Volunteers. Behavior that puts student athletes, coaches, visitors, and other fans at risk is not something we will tolerate.”
Tennessee beginning to penalize offenders
Prior to receiving punishments from the SEC, the University of Tennessee was working to identify fans that threw trash onto the field of Neyland Stadium Saturday.
As of Monday afternoon, its Police Department had already made 18 arrests related to the incident, according to a report by Adam Sparks of Knox News.
In addition to UTPD’s arrests, 47 fans were ejected from the game. Sparks reported that UTPD is still looking through video evidence from the game, including security camera footage, hoping to identify more perpetrators. A Tennessee spokesperson added that more security cameras could be added to Neyland Stadium, particularly facing the student section.
The Tennessee spokesperson added that students will not be permitted to attend future games, should they be linked to the trash throwing incident.
“We are trying to identify people who threw things onto the field last night in order to hold them accountable,” Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman said in a statement to Knox News. “Further, athletics is working with UTPD and the Division of Student Life to provide recommendations to me and (athletics director) Danny White related to preventing and deterring bad behavior in the stadium, particularly in our student section.”