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SEC Sports
SEC issues statement following 'unacceptable' actions by fans at Neyland Stadium
The Southeastern Conference and University of Tennessee administrators issued statements early Sunday morning, following Saturday night's Tennessee-Ole Miss game being
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The Southeastern Conference and University of Tennessee administrators issued statements early Sunday morning, following Saturday night's Tennessee-Ole Miss game being delayed in the final minute by debris being thrown on the field.
The 13th-ranked Rebels held on to beat the Vols 31-26 inside a sold-out Neyland Stadium, but bottles and other objects were thrown onto the field with 54 seconds left in regulation. The action from fans followed Tennessee being ruled a yard short on fourth-and-24. The spot on the play was reviewed before ultimately being upheld, giving the ball back to Ole Miss.
Tennessee, which had three timeouts remaining at the time of the stoppage, eventually got the ball back, but Joe Milton III ran out of bounds after time had expired on the game's final play, after taking the third-and-10 snap at the 21-yard line with three seconds left.
GREG SANKEY, SEC Commissioner
“The Conference has established expectations for behavior and sportsmanship, and the actions of fans at Saturday night’s game were unacceptable under any circumstances. We are accustomed to intense competition every week, but under no circumstances is it acceptable to endanger the contest participants and disrupt a game. We will review existing Conference policies and the Commissioner’s authority to impose penalties and communicate with the leadership at the University of Tennessee — and all of the SEC’s member universities — to make certain this situation is not repeated.”
DONDE PLOWMAN, University of Tennessee Chancellor
“I am astonished and sickened by the behavior of some Vol fans at the end of tonight’s game. Good sportsmanship must be part of who we are as Volunteers. Behavior that puts student-athletes, visitors and other fans at risk is not something we will tolerate. I will be calling Chancellor Boyce in the morning to offer my personal apology on behalf of the University of Tennessee and discuss what we can do to make this right. Neyland Stadium has always been a place for families, and we’ll keep it that way.”
DANNY WHITE, Tennessee Athletic Director
“Our Tennessee fanbase had much to be proud of through 59 minutes of football Saturday night — they created one of the best live sporting event atmospheres I’ve ever experienced — but what transpired in the game’s final minute was unacceptable.
“Player and fan safety is paramount at all times. While I’m incredibly proud of our team’s effort on the field, I’m disappointed that their relentless performance was overshadowed in the game’s closing moments by the actions of several fans whose actions did not represent the Volunteer Spirit or the true character of our university.
“On behalf of the University of Tennessee, I’d like to apologize to the Ole Miss football program and congratulate their student-athletes on a hard fought win. I spoke with Keith Carter after the game and expressed the same sentiment to him.”