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Vanderbilt AD's NIL Plea Ignored, Fined $500,000 for Court-Storming

Vanderbilt's success has come with a hefty $850,000 pricetag in fines for court-storming this season

Noah Henderson

Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jaylen Carey (22) celebrates with fans after beating the Kentucky Wildcats at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.
Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jaylen Carey (22) celebrates with fans after beating the Kentucky Wildcats at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Vanderbilt has been no stranger to monumental underdog victories this season, especially in front of their home crowd.

On Saturday, the Commodores knocked off No. 9 Kentucky before a packed Memorial Gymnasium. In the heat of the moment, fans engaged in common collegiate sporting tradition and stormed the court against the wishes of the athletic administration.

Vanderbilt was fined the maximum $500,000 penalty for the Sunday incident, adhering to recently modified SEC policy standards. In 2023, the conference increased fines to combat growing concerns about the health and safety of players, staff, security, and officials during such incidents.

Any further incidents will be penalized at the same level. 

Shortly before the end of the game, Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee was seen pleading with students not to storm the court.

Her pitch was simple: the money we save in fines can be used towards NIL money for a better team.

Lee’s request was quickly disregarded. 

Institutions will soon be responsible for athletic compensation, with institutional revenue sharing coming to college sports next academic year. Fines, like those imposed by the SEC for court-storming, will harm Vanderbilt’s ability to compensate its athletes or, at the very least, force the Commodores to divert some of their funds earmarked for other expenses to athlete compensation. 

Vanderbilt’s home success this year has boosted fan engagement, excitement, and likely donations. However, the court-storming that has often accompanied their most proud victories has levied them a hefty $850,000 loss in SEC fines.

Saturday’s incident was the third time since October that Vanderbilt has been punished for such a practice. 

The Commodores stormed the field after their home football win against Alabama on Oct. 5, where they were fined $100,000, and in their men’s basketball defeat of No. 6 Tennessee on Jan. 18, they were fined $250,000. 

Vanderbilt has built a formidable basketball squad this season and were ranked in the AP Poll for the first time all year. That makes them well-positioned to occupy an at-large bid to March Madness.

With a home date against No. 1-ranked Auburn scheduled for Feb. 11, big money will likely be at play in the event of an upset. The security presence at Memorial Gymnasium will be something to watch. 

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Noah Henderson
NOAH HENDERSON

Professor Noah Henderson teaches in the sport management department at Loyola University Chicago. Outside the classroom, he advises companies, schools, and collectives on Name, Image, and Likeness best practices. His academic research focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and social consequences regarding college athletics, NIL, and sports gambling. Before teaching, Prof. Henderson was part of a team that amended Illinois NIL legislation and managed NIL collectives at the nation’s most prominent athletic institutions while working for industry leader Student Athlete NIL. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Economics from Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a four-year letter winner on the golf team. Prof. Henderson is a native of San Diego, California, and a former golf CIF state champion with Torrey Pines High School. Outside of athletics, he enjoys playing guitar, hanging out with dogs, and eating California burritos. You can follow him on Twitter: @NoahImgLikeness. 

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