Wolfpack’s Celebration After Georgia Tech Upset Gets Costly
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RALEIGH — After introducing new rules to try to prevent field storming during the offseason, the ACC fined NC State $50,000 for its actions Saturday night after the Wolfpack stunned No. 8 Georgia Tech.
Thousands of NC State students and fans flooded the field just as Wolfpack linebacker Caden Fordham came down with the game-ending interception in the end zone. While security lined up to protect the goal posts, there wasn't much effort given to preventing the rush of the field at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Fans storm the field at Carter-Finley Stadium as NC State upsets No. 8 Georgia Tech 48-36. @WolfpackOnSI pic.twitter.com/v655WOCcRJ
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) November 2, 2025
Given the emotional victory for the program, NC State was likely happy to take care of the bill after the monster win. Videos emerged on social media of an emotional Dave Doeren embracing his family just outside the tunnel.
NC State wasn't alone in the field storming business either. The ACC also fined SMU after the Mustangs pulled an upset of their own, taking down No. 10 Miami and effectively ending the Hurricanes' hopes for a College Football Playoff bid.
The Field Storming Policy
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips announced the addition of the field storming policy at ACC Kickoff over the summer. The updated security policy was meant to ensure the safety of the student-athletes after some unruly field stormings occurred across college football in 2024. The ACC released a statement announcing the fines the day after the upset wins in Raleigh and Dallas.
"The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that North Carolina State University and Southern Methodist University have been fined for violations of the league’s event security policy following the November 1 football games versus Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Miami, respectively," the statement read.
The Wolfpack Perspective
Dave Doeren, ladies and gentlemen.
— Travon Miles (@TrayABC11) November 2, 2025
You can feel the emotion in this video. pic.twitter.com/6iCoLW58Hn
The fee won't mean much in the grand scheme of things, as the Wolfpack stunned the college football world with its win over the Yellow Jackets. It also did so in front of a number of major recruiting targets, who now have a taste for what the Wolfpack can be when firing on all cylinders.
"It was awesome, especially being a part of it. You always see it on TV and all that stuff, the fans rushing the crowd. It was awesome to be a part of it," redshirt freshman running back Duke Scott said. "I got to take some a lot of good pictures and just interact with fans."
If NC State's 48-36 win over Georgia Tech was a movie, then this is "the oner." Almost two continuous minutes of what it was like moments after their top ten victory, starting with an amped Caden Fordham. @WRAL #NCState #WPN pic.twitter.com/6O6uU4zbWg
— Pat Welter WRAL (@PatrickWelter) November 2, 2025
The win marked NC State's signature moment of the 2025 season. A $50,000 fine won't be what anyone remembers about Nov. 1 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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