WACO, Texas (KWTX) – More and more college football fans are storming the field, not only after championship victories, but also after big regular season wins against hated rivals.
“Everyone’s like, ‘are we gonna rush the field? Like what’s gonna happen? Are we gonna do this? How are we gonna do this?’” recalled Josh Carrion, who says he was born a Baylor Bear.
“I’m a huge Baylor fan. I grew up watching Baylor. Both my parents went here,” Carrion said.
That is why he did not not hesitate to storm the field as a senior after his team defeated Texas Christian University (TCU) in what is now known as The Bluebonnet Battle.
“It’s like our little Super Bowl and same for them, so just having the opportunity to storm the field was such a tremendous opportunity for everyone, not only for the fans, but for the players as well,” Carrion explained.
“I think the players love it,” said Sic ‘Em 365′s Paul Catalina, who acknowledged a deep-rooted rivalry warrants big on field celebrations.
It’s happening more and more in every conference.
“It’s way more common now. And the issue is social media,” Catalina said, “In coaching and the recruiting world, you want your place to look cool. You want it to look fun. So field storming, it looks fun.”
Central Texas psychologist, Dr. Kristy Donaldson, understands the appeal.
“Now, you can see on a live feed and you can automatically pull up and see somebody winning a game. You can see people running on the field or storming the field at a different school for a different reason and then, all of a sudden, you’re like, ‘Oh we should try that. Why don’t we do that?’” Donaldson explained.
“That looks like they have a lot of school spirit or that looks like they really showed that they were frustrated or excited about something, so let’s try that same behavior.”
At what cost, though?
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has cracked down harder than the Big 12 Conference on field storming in 2024.
In fact, the Big 12 has yet to announce a fine for a football team this season for field storming. The SEC handed down a combined $600,000 fine for Louisiana State and Ole’ Miss in week 11 alone.
Donaldson said fans should put safety before social media.
“If you’re going to storm the field, you have to remember that it’s like a stampede. It’s that herd mentality, right? And if somebody stops too quickly, if somebody falls, they’re going to be trampled,” Donaldson said.
Students like Carrion, however, are reflecting on the season without regrets.
When asked what it would take as far as a threat or a punishment for fans, in general, not just at Baylor, to dissuade them from storming the field, Carrion said, “I don’t think there’s one big enough, honestly.”
Carrion said that no matter where you go to school, it’s every student’s dream to have a big moment at a football game.
Storming the field is a moment to “celebrate and unite together as a fan base. So, regardless of the punishments, I think everyone’s gonna do it, eventually,” he said.
Baylor University declined to comment on field storming by fans.
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