If Alabama wanted to get creative with its loss to on Saturday night, it could point to the SECs rules that will see its athletic department receive a significant payout after dropping another game in Knoxville.
In the middle of one of the craziest Saturdays in college football history â one that saw five of the nations top eight teams lose on the same day for the first time since 1989 â in front of more than 100,000 fans inside Neyland Stadium.
Now, in the aftermath of that dominant performance against the previously No. 6-ranked team in the country, the Vols will either be writing a check or sending a $500,000 wire transfer to Tuscaloosa.
But, Tennessees athletic department did everything it could to avoid the fine that came after fans stormed the field just over one minute after the final whistle.
Sometimes, there’s just nothing hourly-paid security officers can do when thousands of fans start heading in their direction.
Vols’ athletic director (AD), Danny White, appeared on the jumbotron with under one minute remaining in the game, urging fans to hold-off on rushing the field until Alabama players and staff members could be safely escorted to the locker room.
But as we all know, it only takes a few fans to ignite the chaos.
For the third-straight time in Knoxville, it was Tennessee on the victorious side of this heated rivalry that is also known as the ‘Third Saturday in October’, defeating Alabama 26-10 in what was a dominating performance by the Vols defense.
Once Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell threw the final pass of the game, which Tennessee intercepted in the end-zone located right in front of the Vols student section, the cigar smoke had already started making its way out of the stadium.
Then, also for the third-straight time, the Tennessee football team was joined on the field by thousands of fans looking to celebrate the monumental win over their hated rival.
After Josh Heupel wrapped up his interview with ESPN, the Vols head coach immediately started celebrating with those clad in orange and white.
At the same time, AD Danny White was standing on the field and lighting up his own victory cigar as fans danced to ‘Dixieland Delight’ playing throughout Neyland Stadium.
Maybe Kalen DeBoer could ask for the funds to go straight towards a backup offensive lineman, or put that money into its NIL fund.
In this era of college athletics, receiving a $500,000 check from a hated rival could come to good use.
If you’re going to lose, at least you’re going to receive a financial bump for the embarrassment.
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Obviously, Alabama would have preferred its athletes had safely exited the field in hopes of avoiding another ca
