What it lacks in SportsCenter-worthy spontaneity, it makes up for in safety. At least that's the hope for a new Vanderbilt University court-storming policy forged in the wake of nearly $1M in fines incurred by the school this academic year.
As reported by Nashville NBC affiliate WSMV, Vandy fans have stormed the court following key men's basketball victories against Kentucky and Tennessee, costing the Commodores $750,000 total. Last fall, the university was fined $100,000 after fans stored the field following Vanderbilt's win against No. 1 Alabama.
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Vandy's next court-storming violation — should one occur — will carry a new fine of $500,000 from the Southeastern Conference.
To mitigate the potential for such damages, Vanderbilt has come up with a seemingly unique idea. On Friday, the school issued a new court-storming policy that involves a one-minute countdown clock that will start once the game clock has expired. The idea is to allow sufficient time for opposing teams and officials to exit the court. Once the clock hits zero, everyone can then storm the court.
