How much storming field will cost South Carolina after Texas A&M win

As the fourth quarter wound down on South Carolina’s 44-20 upset victory over No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday, the students dressed in black inched closer to the hedges.

When the clock finally hit zeros, those students — and then fans all from throughout Williams-Brice Stadium —hopped over the bushes and walls and stormed onto the field to celebrate with the Gamecocks, which finally beat a ranked team after nine-straight unsuccessful tries.

For the first time since the Gamecocks knocked off No. 5 Tennessee at Willy-B in 2022, Gamecock fans finally got to be a part of a field storming.

It will, however, cost the Gamecocks.

South Carolina will have to pay a $250,000 to Texas A&M for fans rushing the field Saturday night. The SEC confirmed the penalty with a Sunday announcement.

“Sorry about the fine, Coach Tanner,” Shane Beamer said to athletic director Ray Tanner at Saturday night’s postgame press conference. “Don’t take that out of our NIL money for sure.”

Because the SEC updated its competition area policy in 2023, thus resetting it, everything before that doesn’t count. The new policy dictates a school will be fined $100,000 for its first violation, $250,000 for its second and $500,000 for every field or court storming thereafter.

But South Carolina did get fined in January after fans at Colonial Life Arena stormed the court following the men’s basketball team knocking off Kentucky.

That meant the Gamecocks entered Saturday already with one strike on their record. After an unbelievable November night, it will be on strike two — meaning the next time South Carolina fans storm a field/court, the Gamecocks will have to pay $500,000.