Washington State not fined by Pac-12, but fans still kicking money to GoFundMe account

PULLMAN – The Pac-12 Conference has chosen not to levy a fine against Washington State for the field rush that followed Saturday’s triple-overtime win at Martin Stadium, though some fans are under the impression that the school did get popped for $25,000 – and a number of them are willing to help cover the alleged “fine.”

Monday afternoon, a Cougar supporter from Olympia started a GoFundMe account titled “Pay WSU’s Asinine PAC 12 Fine” and donations have been flowing into the fund ever since. As of 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, the account had received $700 from 29 different donors.

The person who created the page posted the following message: “The PAC 12 Conference has fined Washington State University $25,000 because students and other fans rushed onto the field to celebrate WSU’s improbable comeback win over Boise State last Saturday. I’m hopeful that the faithful WSU students and fans around the world will assist in helping me gather the needed funds to defray the costs to the athletic program caused by this absolutely ridiculous fine.”

A Washington State official confirmed Monday evening that the Pac-12 had not levied a fine and a spokesperson from the conference reported the same message to The Spokesman-Review on Tuesday afternoon.

“There’s no fine for Washington State regarding field rushing following its game with Boise State,” a Pac-12 official said via E-mail.

In an effort to enhance safety, the Pac-12 has cracked down on field rushing/court storming and this past May, announced there would be a $25,000 penalty for the first offense, $50,000 for the second offense, and $100,000 for the third offense.

More than 1,000 Washington State fans flooded onto the field 20 minutes before midnight, when Tyler Hilinski hit Jamal Morrow for the game’s decisive touchdown.

The largest single donation given to the GoFundMe account has been $50. Fans were still sending money as of 3:40 p.m.