Despite a 42-6 drubbing at the hands of Oregon last week, it’s been a magical start to the season for Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes. They reeled off three straight victories to kick things off, including a Week 1 upset over TCU, and that’s led to fans storming the field.
On Saturday, Colorado hosts 8th-ranked USC and they’re 22-point home underdogs. However, expectations remain high as Sanders recently vowed that the Oregon loss is as bad as things will get this year.
If the Buffaloes somehow upset the Trojans on Sunday, fans are likely to go wild. And that fear has prompted Colorado athletic director Rick George to preemptively ask the Colorado faithful to remain in the stands — both on Saturday and for the remainder of the season.
“I ask you to refrain from entering the field after games,” George said in a statement, via 9News. “Although ‘rushing the field’ has long been a college football tradition, in recent years, many schools and conferences are cracking down on the practice, as it greatly jeopardizes the safety of players, coaches, staff and other fans. Rushing the field is in violation of University and Pac-12 regulations.
“Unfortunately, after both of our first two home games, we received an inordinate number of complaints regarding fan conduct (especially student conduct), and after both of our home game victories, students and fans ‘rushed the field.’ Such conduct is unacceptable, and I ask you to please refrain from such behavior for any future events.”
George went on to remind Colorado fans about their conduct expectations, which encompasses much more than just rushing the field.
“We want to remind you of our expectations of fan conduct during games,” George added. “We expect all our fans to refrain from vulgar language, verbal or physical abuse, underage drinking, and overall intoxication. This type of conduct will not be tolerated at our home sporting events, and I have instructed our gameday staff and members of law enforcement to enhance their monitoring efforts of our fans’ conduct.
“Consequences for such behavior can include expulsion from the game, bans on attending future contests, student conduct investigations and, of course, legal action. Please act responsibly during our games, not only so others can enjoy the experience, but also so the world can see our passion and character.”
The warning is great and all but let’s be honest, if Colorado picks up a historic win on Saturday, it’s a pretty safe bet that fans will completely ignore George’s plea and once again storm the field.
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