KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Southeastern Conference has fined Tennessee $250,000 for fans stopping the Vols' game with Mississippi by throwing debris onto the field late in the game.
The league office also announced Monday that Tennessee must meet other standards.
Tennessee's cheerleaders and dance team left the field, dodging debris with the band going the stands.
Tennessee's fine will be deducted from its share of SEC revenue.
Every person identified from video throwing debris will be prohibited from attending a Tennessee athletics event for the rest of the 2021-22 academic and athletic year.
Commissioner Greg Sankey says the disruption is unacceptable and cannot be repeated on any SEC campus.
"The disruption of Saturday night's game is unacceptable and cannot be repeated on any SEC campus," Sankey said in a news 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."
The conference added they were not suspending alcohol sales at Vols games but could if other requirements are not met.
Those requirements the university should abide by including the following:
- Using every available resource, including security, stadium, and television video, to identify individuals who threw objects onto the field or at the opposing team and ban them from attending any university athletic events for the remainder of the 2021-22 academic and athletic year.
- Fined $250,000 that will be deducted from the university's share of SEC revenue distribution.
- Review and update its athletics department game management procedures and alcohol availability policies to prevent a recurrence of what happened on Saturday.
- Once the review is completed and before its next home game, the university must provide the conference with a summary of its efforts to identify and penalize offenders and a plan to enact policies that will make sure that what occurred on Saturday won't happen again while ensuring compliance with conference standards.
