SEC fines Ole Miss for court storming after win over No. 4 Tennessee, AD Keith Carter issues statement

In the closing moments after the Ole Miss men’s basketball team defeated No. 4 Tennessee on Wednesday there was a desperate plea for fans and students to not storm the court.

For the most part the plea was heard and understood but still some made their way onto the court and on Friday the Southeastern Conference office levied their monetary judgement

Ole Miss was issued a $500K fine for a violation of the league’s access to competition area policy. This was the second violation of the 2024-25 athletic year and third overall since the policy was adopted during the 2023 SEC Spring meetings.

Despite its best efforts by staff and even Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter to keep people off the court in there were still some who made it in the initial minutes after the game when Tennessee was trying to get to their locker room.

“Keith Carter and the Ole Miss leadership have been diligent in updating its postgame basketball court access policy and it was encouraging to see the vast majority of fans obey the new policy by remaining in the stands immediately following Wednesday’s game with Tennessee. It is disappointing that a small number of fans have created this problem, but the postgame court incursion by fans who disregarded the policy violates the expectations of the access to competition area policy,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey in a statement issued with the fine announcement.

Sankey also acknowledged a fan throwing an object onto the court that caused the game to stop and Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard to get on the in-arena microphone and admonish the student section.

Fans stormed the field after the Rebels defeated LSU on September 30, 2023 for the first violation. The storming of the field after November’s win over Georgia counted as the second.

All fines assessed go towards the opposing school, meaning Ole Miss has paid and will pay LSU, Georgia and Tennessee.

Carter also issued a statement on Friday in the wake of the latest fine.

“Wednesday was a momentous night for the Ole Miss men’s basketball team. Our program has experienced record attendance growth this season, and that is due to the love and support of Rebel Nation,” Carter’s statement read. “Unfortunately, Wednesday’s special moment was marred by the unacceptable behavior of a select few in our fanbase that chose to impatiently rush the court before the Tennessee team and game officials had exited and before the crowd was welcomed to come down. These selfish actions have consequences, as they will cost our coaches and student-athletes valuable resources. We are being levied a $500,000 fine to bring our department’s total to $850,000 for the season. Additionally, SEC regulations dictate that this money be distributed to the opposing institution. With potential future fines continuing at a similar level, it is imperative that we take immediate action to end this behavior.

Any additional violation of the policy will result in another $500K fine each time.

The fans or students who are found to have thrown objects could be permanently banned from the SJB Pavilion, according to the SEC and Carter’s statements.

“Our staff is currently reviewing postgame footage from Wednesday, and any individuals who are identified will face the potential loss of game privileges,” Carter’s statement continued. “Entering the playing surface without permission is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. Penalties will be increased moving forward, including holding perpetrators on the court or field and revoking their game privileges on site. We are also exploring other avenues to hold those that break the rules accountable. Simply put, this must stop.”