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Ole Miss penalized for throwing debris on field during LSU game

By Sethanie Smith Oct 5, 2023 | 11:39 AM

OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – The University of Mississippi will be assessed a financial penalty and must meet requirements set by the commissioner after fans threw debris onto the field during the Rebels’ game against Louisiana State University (LSU) on Saturday, September 30.

A portion of the fourth quarter of the football game was interrupted and delayed when fans threw the objects onto the playing field.

“The disruption and delay of Saturday night’s game must never be part of any SEC event,” said Southeastern Conference (SEC) Commissioner Greg Sankey. “These actions are consistent with the oversight assigned by the membership to the SEC office, including the financial penalty and mandated reviews.”

Under the sportsmanship, game management and alcohol availability policies established by the SEC, the University of Mississippi will:

  • Be assessed a financial penalty of $75,000, which will be deducted from the university’s share of SEC revenue distribution.
  • Be required to use all available resources, including security, stadium and television video, to identify individuals who threw objects on to the playing field or at the opposing team. All individuals identified as having been involved in disrupting the game shall be prohibited from attending Ole Miss Athletics events for the remainder of the 2023-24 academic and athletic year;
  • Review and update its Athletics Department game management procedures and alcohol availability policies to prevent a recurrence of Saturday night’s disruption, which shall include an evaluation of agreed upon SEC Sportsmanship, Game Management and Alcohol policies to verify full compliance with existing standards, and
  • Following completion of this review, the university shall provide a report to the Conference Office to summarize its efforts to identify and penalize offenders and its plan to enact policies to prevent future similar incidents while ensuring compliance with Conference standards.

The SEC is not suspending alcohol sales privileges for the University of Mississippi at this time, but the conference reserves the right to do so if the requirements are not met.