Washington State could be fined for rushing field, but decision won’t come immediately

PULLMAN – For the third time in two years, Washington State fans hopped over the guard rails at Martin Stadium and poured onto the field to celebrate a signature win for the Cougar football team.

Whether the school will receive a $25,000 bill for its role in Saturday’s field rush will be determined by Pac-12 officials later this week, a league spokesman told The Spokesman-Review Monday vie E-mail. A decision will be made “somewhat later than usual” because the conference is holding annual meetings this week.

Two years ago, the conference introduced policies regarding the rushing of a field/court after a game, ruling that a school can be fined $25,000 for a first offense, $50,000 for a second offense and $100,000 for a third offense.

WSU fans rushed the field twice last season, following a 47-44 triple-overtime win over Boise State in which the Cougars rallied back from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit, and after a 30-27 win over then fifth-ranked USC three weeks later.

The Pac-12 levied just one $25,000 fine against WSU, however, for rushing the field after the USC game. Following the win over BSU, a fine was waived because it was determined that opposing players, coaches, staff members and working personnel had sufficient time to exit the field safely during a 60-second time period without being obstructed.

But one WSU fan launched a GoFundMe campagin to help raise money for “WSU’s Asinine Pac 12 Fine” and received more than $700 from 53 donors before it was learned there would be no penalty for rushing the field. All of the money received was eventually refunded.

The Cougars have actually been part of four field rushes in their last 18 games. When Cal upset No. 7 WSU 37-3 last year at Memorial Stadium in Berekely, a few-hundred fans stormed onto the field afterward. Cal was fined $25,000 by the conference later that week.