Arkansas just plays differently against orange teams, starting with 'T' at home in the stripe-out.
As everyone knows by now, the Razorbacks pulled off a historic win against No. 4 Tennessee. To celebrate the victory, fans rush the field for the second time in head coach Sam Pittman‘s tenure. The first time was in 2021 against No. 15 Texas.
However, the excitement didn’t come without a cost. The SEC has fined Arkansas $250,000 for allowing fans to enter the field. This is the second strike for the university, with the first penalty, toting a hefty price tag of $100,000.
However, the athletic program's leadership doesn’t seem to care all that much. When Sam Pittman met Holly Rowe for a post-game interview, he mentioned that fans rushing the field could make athletic director Hunter Yurachek upset, but it didn't matter to him.
“I think the AD’s going to be mad,” said Pittman. “Or maybe he won’t be. I don’t know, but right now, I don’t care. Go Hogs, baby!”
When Yurachek was asked, he shared the head coach's sentiment. “Absolutely not. That is a lifetime memory for many people, to get out on the field and celebrate a win like that," said Yurachek. “You’ve got grandfathers, fathers, and sons that were down there.
"It’s a memory people will have and keep with them. But the first thing we want to do is make sure it’s done safely and that the visiting team gets off the field, safely as does their staff and the officials.”
However, the next time is a little different. The fine quickly rises to $500,000 after the third offense. Yurachek's tone changed just a bit when talking about another fine. “So if there’s another time we can anticipate this happening, we may need to have better communication with our fans and our students about it," Yurachek said.
“But after other big wins, we’ll find a different way to celebrate or implement our plan where we get the visiting team and officials off the field, have a two- or three-minute cooling-off period, and then allow our fans to come on the field at that time."