Ole Miss football fans stormed the field Saturday following the team's 55-49 win against LSU, and the school was subsequently fined $100,000 for the SEC violation. Now, the school is asking fans to refrain from future celebratory incursions.
Aside from the fine, which would increase to $250,000 for a second infraction, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter cited safety concerns as reason enough for the request that fans remain off the field after the game.
"As our program continues to experience big wins like Saturday, our fans should be more accustomed to those moments and avoid field storming situations," Carter said in a school release Monday, according to the Clarion Ledger. "... We have the most passionate fans in college athletics, but we must reserve the playing field for our student-athletes and coaches."
Social media was rife with video from the postgame celebration after the LSU win, including on video that showed a fan jumping off a goalpost, and one video showed an LSU player shoving an Ole Miss fan to the ground.
Carter also asked Ole Miss fans not to throw objects onto the playing field. Debris made its way into the north end zone after LSU was controversially awarded a touchdown following a long review process in the second half.
"We are currently reviewing camera footage from Saturday and are exploring surveillance opportunities for future games so we can be as vigilant as possible to prevent this type of behavior from occurring again," Carter said.
