Basketball Win Costs University $25,000 in Fines

Now, South Carolina is paying for the celebration with a $25,000 fine.

This isn’t the first time South Carolina has had to pay up for having students storm the court. A similar incident occurred in February 2005 when the school beat third-ranked Kentucky. For that incident, the school was fined $5,000.

Because this week’s incident was the school’s second violation, the SEC slapped South Carolina with the $25,000 fine. According to SEC policy, a third violation in the next three years could cost $50,000.

As a person who went to a college that had a laughable football team two of the four years I was in school, I can appreciate the excitement and excessive celebration that South Carolina felt on Tuesday. The rule is obviously there for safety reasons: it’s easy for fights to break out when a large crowd gets emotional. Still, I’m not sure a large fine is enough to curb that enthusiasm.

The students at South Carolina are taking the fine in stride, collecting one-dollar bills to help pay for breaking the rules.

Community Connection:

College basketball teams aren’t the only ones being fined. The NBA recently banned Twitter and is fining anyone caught tweeting during game time.

What are your thoughts on all of these fines in basketball? Share your thoughts below.