COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Southeastern Conference has imposed a fine of $250,000 on South Carolina following the enthusiastic rush of fans onto the field after the Gamecocks secured a 44-20 victory against then No. 10 Texas A&M at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night.

This penalty results from the university’s second infringement under the SEC’s regulations, which were updated in 2023. Earlier this year, South Carolina faced a $100,000 fine when the men’s basketball team achieved a surprising win over No. 6 Kentucky with a score of 79-62.

According to SEC guidelines, any fines levied will be directed to Texas A&M as a result of the incident. The conference’s policy mandates that access to competition areas be strictly limited to participating athletes, coaches, officials, and other authorized personnel. This requirement is in place to ensure the safety of all participants and the audience.

Should South Carolina face another violation in the future, the penalties would escalate significantly, reaching $500,000.

As the game concluded, jubilant fans surged from the stands, leaping over barriers and through hedges separating the student section from the field in a bid to celebrate this significant victory with the players.

This win marked South Carolina’s first triumph over a top 10 team since they defeated both Tennessee and Clemson in consecutive matchups at the close of the 2022 regular season.