Tennessee gets $500,000 back from South Carolina's field-rush fine a week after paying its own

The SEC fined South Carolina $500,000 on Sunday after fans stormed the field following the Gamecocks' 27-24 win over then-No. 11 Tennessee, and the check goes to Tennessee under conference policy.

That makes the Vols even on the month. One week earlier, the SEC fined Tennessee $500,000 for its own field rush after a 26-10 win over then-No. 6 Alabama. So Tennessee paid half a million dollars for celebrating a big win, then got half a million back for losing one.

The policy is simple on paper. Schools have to "limit access to competition areas" for "the safety of participants and spectators alike." Fans can come onto the field only after the visiting team and the officials are off it. Commissioner Greg Sankey can cut the fine to $100,000 if South Carolina shows it made a full attempt to stop the rush, few people got onto the field and there was minimal contact with Tennessee's team.

South Carolina had company Saturday. Minnesota fans rushed the field after a 13-10 win over Iowa, UCF fans did it after a 39-31 double-overtime upset of then-No. 2 BYU, and Cincinnati fans did it after beating then-No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24. Appalachian State fans stormed the field Friday night after a 34-31 overtime win over James Madison. South Carolina got the biggest fine of the group.

Add it up and the SEC has handed out $1 million in field-rush fines to these two schools in two weeks, and Tennessee's net cost is zero.