Pac-12 bills Washington State $25,000 for field rush following Oct. 20 win over Oregon

PULLMAN – Washington State’s win over Oregon on Oct. 20 came with a price tag.

The Pac-12 has fined WSU $25,000 because its fans rushed the field following the Cougars’ 34-20 win over the Ducks at Martin Stadium, a conference official confirmed to The Spokesman-Review Monday afternoon.

WSU beat an Oregon team that was ranked 12th in the country coming into the week 7 Pac-12 North matchup in Pullman, which coincided with ESPN College GameDay’s much-anticipated first-ever trip to the Palouse.

The Cougars have been fined twice for rushing the field since the beginning of the 2017 season. WSU was hit with a $25,000 penalty following a week five win over No. 5 USC last year, but the Pac-12 didn’t elect to fine the school when its fans rushed the field after a triple-overtime victory against Boise State earlier in the season.

According to a Pac-12 policy established in 2016, “In the event field-rushing activities occur within 60 seconds after completion of a game, an automatic fine shall be accessed. If the visiting team, staff members, working personnel and game officials safely exit from the field during the 60-second time period, the Commissioner may waive the fine.”

Schools are eligible to receive a $25,000 fine for the first field/court-rushing offense. The fee is $50,000 for a second offense in the same season and $100,000 for the third offense.

The Pac-12 did not fine Oregon when Duck fans poured onto the field at Autzen Stadium following an upset win over Washington on Oct. 13.