The Crowd Storms The Field

Should Field Rushing in College Football be Allowed?

Photo by Fred / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

In the past month, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Colorado have all dealt with fans rushing the field. The field was rushed because each of these teams had monumental upsets. However, they all were fined thousands of dollars for allowing their fans to rush the field. This begs the question, should field rushing in college football be allowed?

Rushing the field has become a controversial topic in college football. However, most fans feel that rushing should be allowed. Fans say it is because of the many traditions within college football. When underdog teams upset a top 25 ranked team, fans want to rush the field. The tradition started in 1985 when Virginia Tech fans rushed the field after upsetting their rivals, Virginia. Beating a better team is not the only cause of a field rushing, sometimes fans will rush the field after a team who has struggled for a while wins or beats a long time rival.

Rushing the field is an experience many college football fans want to have at least once. In 2022, Florida State was facing off against the University of Florida. In the years prior, Florida State had struggled with their new head coach Mike Norvell. In this game, Florida State and Florida were facing off in a tight battle; however, Florida State ended up pulling the win off and the fans rushed the field. Being at the game it was a once in a lifetime experience, feeling the excitement and adrenaline. It was an unforgettable experience for many fans at the game.

Additionally, it is not just fans who enjoy field storming, the players enjoy it too. In 2023, Washington State, that was not a top 25 team, upset a number 19 ranked Wisconsin. Due to this huge upset, the Washington State fans stormed the field and celebrated with the players. Superstar quarterback Cam Ward was one of the players on Washington State, and he said that he enjoyed the experience and celebrated with the fans on the field.

Even though many prefer field storming, there are still opposers. These people say it is because it is unsafe to both the players and fans as it can cause injury. Because many fans have gotten injured jumping over the fence and onto the field, teams have tried to stop it. At Auburn’s Jordan Hare Stadium, there are bushes in front of the crowd to stop storming. Even with these preventative measures, the fans will storm the field anyway. This is because they value the tradition, and the tradition is so important to many that they will risk the possibility of injury for the memory.

Overall, field rushing is monumental in college sports, whether it is a huge upset, or a team finally getting a well needed win. The tradition of field rushing is something that we should cherish as fans.