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There’s been a renewed focus on the age-old tradition of storming the field or the court after a big win at the college level over the past few years, and the ACC has gotten in on the action with the fines it’s introducing ahead of the upcoming school year. Every member of the conference has the potential to be affected, but Clemson is already gearing up for a new policy that could end up having a disproportionate impact on its football program.
The act of court storming can be traced back to the outcome of a college basketball game that led to fans of the City College of New York making their way onto the hardwood after winning a national championship in 1950. The origins of a deluge of spectators swarming the football field are a bit murkier, but both of those traditions have been a staple of college sports for decades.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to be part of one of those mobs, I don’t have to tell you how magical the experience can be. However, there have been more than a few incidents that have sparked plenty of scrutiny while raising issues about safety concerns, and some conferences have decided to take steps to crack down on the practice.
That includes the SEC, which recently revamped its protocol to replace the tiered fine system it unveiled in 2007 with a new one that will require schools to fork over $500,000 whenever fans storm the court or field.
The ACC has also decided to mount a crackdown ahead of the upcoming football season, and there’s one member that’s going to need its fans to cooperate if it doesn’t want to be left on the hook for a hefty bill.
Clemson’s “Gathering at the Paw” could become a major liability now that the ACC will fine schools if fans storm the field
On Tuesday, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips announced the conference has decided to adopt a tiered system of its own to discourage spectators from making their way onto the field or court before the visiting team has been given the chance to vacate the playing surface.
ACC commish Jim Phillips details the fine structure for schools violating new league court storming rules:
— $50,000 first offense
— $100,000 second offense
— $200,000 third offense
Timeline for those fines will reset every 2 yrs
$$ goes to the ACC’s postgrad scholarship fund— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) July 22, 2025
The approach differs from the SEC’s in a few ways: the fines are less steep, schools will be able to wipe their infractions off the board every two years, and the money will be used for a general scholarship fund as opposed to ending up in the coffers of the team that was victimized.
Every member of the ACC will also be required to submit a security plan for approval, and according to The Herald, Clemson is currently working on adjusting to the new reality while acknowledging there could be some growing pains stemming from a beloved pastime stretching back to the 1940s.
The university shared a statement with the outlet while acknowledging it supports the new measure but noting it will need fans to cooperate to avoid unnecessary fines, saying:
“Clemson is in the process of finalizing our updated protocol in accordance with this policy.
Our approach acknowledges the significance of Gathering at the Paw on Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, and we intend to allow for its continuation once visiting teams and personnel have safely exited the field. We ask our fans for their cooperation in this matter beginning this fall.”
As The State notes, former head coach Frank Howard (who lends his name to the field inside Memorial Stadium) first invited attendees to come onto the gridiron in 1942. That tradition was eventually dubbed “The Gathering at the Paw,” as Clemson fans have historically made their way toward the logo on the grass in the wake of every home game regardless of the outcome or opponent.
As you can see in that video, fans usually don’t waste any time making their way from the stands, but the new policy will force them to hold off on invading until the visiting team has headed to the locker room.
We’ll get a chance to see if they respect the wishes of the powers that be when Clemson hosts LSU for some Tiger-on-Tiger action during the season opener on August 30th.