After Tennessee has turned the ball over on Downs, UT fans throw objects onto Ole Miss' field, hitting Lane Kiffin and causing a delay in the game. (0:32).
Monday's announcement by the Southeastern Conference was that it would assess Tennessee a $250,000 penalty for fans who threw bottles onto the Neyland Stadium field at the conclusion of the Volunteers' 31-26 defeat to Ole Miss.
The game was stopped with 54 seconds remaining. Fans began to shower the Ole Miss sideline in bottles, cans, and other projectiles. One such projectile included a golf ball that struck Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss coach. After a questionable spot by officials, Tennessee was just stopped on fourth down.
The Ole Miss players were relocated to the middle of field from the sideline. Meanwhile, the Ole Miss cheerleaders had to be evacuated from the sideline. In addition, the Tennessee marching band had to be moved from its usual spot in the stands. Both the upper and lower decks were used to throw objects, with a focus on the areas where students usually sit.
Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, set out requirements Tennessee must follow under the SEC's sportsmanship and game management policies.
Sankey stated that "the disruption of Saturday night’s game was unacceptable" and that it cannot be repeated at any SEC campus. "Today's actions were consistent with the oversight given by the members to the SEC office. This includes the financial penalty and review on alcohol availability. This is an opportunity for us to remind each member of the SEC of the importance of creating a safe environment despite the intense competition every week. We will engage our members to review the alcohol availability policy again in order to determine additional measures that can be taken to manage alcohol and provide a safe environment for college competition.
According to the release, the SEC has not suspended alcohol sales privileges to the University of Tennessee at this time. However, it reserves the right to do so if UT does not meet all requirements set by the league.
These are just a few of the requirements.
You will be required to use all resources available, including stadium security and television video, in order to find individuals who have thrown objects onto the field or at opposing teams. All persons identified as being involved in disrupting the match will be banned from participating in Tennessee athletics events during the 2021-22 academic or athletic year.
To prevent Saturday night's disruption again, the Athletics Department will need to review and update its game management procedures and alcohol availability policy. This evaluation shall include an evaluation and verification of all agreed-upon SEC standards in sportsmanship, game management, and alcohol policies.
After the review is complete, and before Tennessee's next home game, the university will submit a report to league office. This report will summarize the university's efforts to penalize and identify offenders as well as its plans to implement policies to prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure compliance with conference standards.
According to WVLT news in Knoxville, 18 people were arrested by the UT Police Department, and 47 others were taken from the game. According to a spokesman from UT police, there is no current information about how many students were arrested. However, one of the people who was detained was a Georgian man aged 54.
Tisha Benton, spokesperson for the university, stated that students who were identified as having participated in the throwing of debris onto Saturday's field will be denied the opportunity to attend future games.
Danny White, Tennessee's athletic director, stated that he was in constant communication with Sankey throughout this weekend. White released a statement saying that he had stated after the game that the actions that caused the temporary suspension of play were unacceptable. "The actions of a few fans have had unfortunate consequences on many fronts. Although I do not believe this conduct to be representative of Tennessee fans as a whole I fully support the league's imperative action. Safety is the most important thing."
In an interview on Sunday night's "The Nation", Sankey stated that it was possible to stop the game entirely if debris kept being thrown out of stands.
It was always on my mind. Sankey stated, "I will say that." In a few messages, I made it clear that I believed that we could end the situation if there was no order. I was patient... and appreciated the patience of those involved in allowing play to resume. However, this should never happen under any circumstances.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel stated Monday at his weekly news conference, that he was disappointed by the atmosphere at Neyland Stadium that was overshadowed in the last minute.
Heupel stated that "I know that for some people the story is what happened [at end of game]". "Our administration clearly stated that we don't want the Volunteer spirit to be destroyed." It's true, I feel exactly the same way. There were only a few fans who threw objects onto it.
"But the passion, energy and support from our fans, and I've been to a lot of competitive arenas both as a player or coach, was unmatched by what happened Saturday night."
