Vanderbilt fans once again stormed the court after Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball upset No. 9 Kentucky 74-69 for its second top-10 win in a seven-day span. The storming came with a $500,000 fine, announced today by the SEC, for violating “access to competition area” policies.
In 2023, the SEC passed a new three-tier offense-based system, with fines increasing from $100,000 to $250,000 and $500,000, respectively. After Vanderbilt’s October field storming following its defeat of Alabama in football and court storming following its win over No. 6 Tennessee last weekend, the University had officially reached the top tier. This also means that any other offenses for storming the field or court will result in another $500,000 fine.
Saturday’s game boasted a sold-out crowd — 14,316 fans packed into Memorial Gymnasium — with supporters from both teams lined up well before doors opened. Both sides were vocal throughout the entire game, but Vanderbilt pulled away in the waning moments.
In those final minutes, Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee came over to the front of the student section and asked fans to refrain from storming the court. Her pleas fell upon deaf ears, however, as the entirety of the student section rushed the court once the final buzzer rang.
“Storming the court back to back weeks was something that I never thought possible at Vanderbilt, but Memorial Magic has been contagious and every student feels it,” Justin Badt, Class of 2025 said.“I did not care about any fines against the school. I only wanted to celebrate Vand[erbilt] beating the Goliath, Kentucky, with my friends.”
Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball head coach Mark Byington spoke about the storming in his postgame press conference. He shared that he was happy that fans got to rush the court for the second time in as many weeks. He also emphasized that he wants his program to get to a place where top-10 wins in Memorial Gymnasium are the standard.
“At one point, I want it to be where we’re not surprised or don’t feel like the underdog in these games,” Byington said. “We’re not there yet, so let the fans enjoy it. I’m happy for them. What a memory for them.”
