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South Carolina fined $500,000 by SEC for fans storming field after Tennessee upset

The Gamecocks pulled off another huge upset in Week 8.
ByMorgan Moriarty
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South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) celebrates a game-tying touchdown with South Carolina tight end Brady Hunt (87) during a college football game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 24, 2026.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) celebrates a game-tying touchdown with South Carolina tight end Brady Hunt (87) during a college football game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The South Carolina Gamecocks and fans are still basking in the glow of Saturday's huge upset over No. 11 Tennessee. The win gave the Gamecocks their first win over the Vols since 2022, which was also an upset over a top-ranked Tennessee team. 

After the win, unsurprisingly, Gamecock fans inside the stadium rushed the field at Williams-Brice to celebrate with the team:

It didn't take too long for the SEC to respond. On Sunday, afternoon, the SEC announced that South Carolina will be fined $500,000 for the incident. 

Of course, these fines are common when fans in the SEC rush the field. Just two weeks ago, Tennessee was fined the same amount after the Vols' 26-10 upset win over rival Alabama. 

The fine stems from a conference rule that prohibits fans from accessing where student-athletes play. Here's an excerpt from the SEC's release on the policy that the Gamecocks violated: 

The policy states that “institutions shall limit access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times.  For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest may spectators enter the competition area.”

The policy also permits member institutions to establish procedures allowing fans to celebrate on the playing surface after all visiting team personnel and game officials have safely exited the field or court.  To qualify for this exception, institutions must submit their plans to the Conference office in advance and communicate the procedures to fans. Institutions may avoid the prescribed penalty when all applicable requirements are satisfied. 

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer had high praise for how loud the Gamecock fans were throughout Saturday's game.

Credit our fans," Beamer said via Gamecock Central. "They were awesome for four quarters tonight. They were there until the end, and they never flinched and they never wavered. So I appreciate them, and that’s what it needs to be every Saturday. Like every Saturday in this league is a freaking war, and it’s not always going to be pretty. So we’re going to fight to the end, and we need our fans to stay in there with us to the end. And they were awesome tonight."

Shane Beamer blasts 'conspiracy theories' from 2022 South Carolina win over Tennessee

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey can reduce the fine to $100,000 if the school can prove that it attempted to prevent fans from rushing the field. But for South Carolina, it's unlikely the school wanted to prevent fans from rushing the field, or if it was even possible to stop them from doing so. That's not too surprising and you can't exactly blame the school with the pandemonium that erupted in Columbia after the victory.  

For South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati, it's unlikely he will care too much about cashing a check for the full $500,000 to the SEC after such a big victory. 

ALSO READ: South Carolina flips 4-star DL Nate Kamba from Auburn after upset over Vols

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