Auburn fans had a great time rushing the field after the team defeated Alabama in the Iron Bowl. However, the school will now have to pay a big price for it. According to USA Today, Auburn University was fined $250,000 by the SEC office due to a violation of rules. The SEC rule states, “access to competition areas shall be limited to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly-credentialed individuals at all times. For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest shall spectators be permitted to enter the competition area. It is the responsibility of each member institution to implement procedures to ensure compliance with this policy.”
Auburn has beaten Alabama at Jordan-Hare Stadium three times since 2013 and each time fans have rushed the field. And while $250,000 is a lot of money, it’s likely Auburn doesn’t mind paying since it was the biggest win of the year.
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“It’s real special any time our fans are down there with us, and of course, we’re fortunate it’s the third time. It’s a ‘wow’ feeling,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. “Auburn is the Auburn family, and this game obviously is very important. Just happy that we could get a victory for our fans and they were just so huge. I mean, the place was going nuts the whole night. It wasn’t just the fourth quarter, and just a great environment. It was just really something to be a part of.”
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix loved the fact that he was celebrating with fans once the game was over.
“That’s the first time I’ve been on the field when it was rushed. It’s incredible,” he said. “There’s a lot of people. But it goes to show you that there’s a lot of people cheering for you and wanting to see you succeed. I’m just thankful for the Auburn family. They really showed up for us today, and they were a huge contributor to the win.”
Auburn can’t play for the SEC Championship, but the win prevents Alabama from playing for a national championship. So this was big for the Tigers but it was also big for all of college football because with Alabama out, we will see a new team reach the title game as Alabama has made it the last four years.
