Big 12 Faces Punishment Decision After BYU-Notre Dame Game

The conference waived fines for Colorado, Oklahoma State and BYU itself after recent stormings, but it penalized Arizona State when fans rushed before time expired.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

BYU’s 28-24 upset of No. 2 Notre Dame ended with tens of thousands of fans on the LaVell Edwards Stadium turf, and the Big 12 now has to decide whether that celebration costs the Cougars $50,000.

The conference’s standard fine for field storming is $50,000, but the league reviews footage to see whether the visiting team and officials had a safe path off the field. Early Sunday, the Big 12 admitted one second remained when Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr’s final pass fell incomplete.

Big 12 field storming fine rules

BYU fans celebrate in the game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Big 12 handles field stormings case by case. Colorado avoided a $50,000 bill after fans rushed Folsom Field against Iowa State in 2025 because the league ruled the school “executed its field storm management procedures.”

BYU caught the same break a week later after beating Utah. Crumbl CEO Jason McGowan had pledged to cover the fine, and then he moved that money into NIL support once the league passed. Oklahoma State escaped a penalty in September even after students hauled a goalpost into Theta Pond following a 39-31 upset of Oregon, because security got the Ducks off the field promptly.

The Big 12 did fine Arizona State $50,000 and issue a public reprimand in 2025 after the Sun Devils failed to follow protocols following a win over Texas Tech.

Does the clock error hurt BYU?

Arizona State paid $25,000 in November 2024 when its fans flooded the field early against BYU, and it took roughly 15 minutes to clear before the Cougars’ final Hail Mary fell incomplete. Baylor drew a $25,000 fine in 2021 after fans rushed before time expired against Oklahoma, and then-commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the storming caused “an interruption of play.”

The Big 12 said Saturday’s “time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew.”

Still, BYU fans poured in after the final pass fell incomplete and the replay booth never stopped the game to check the clock. A fine tied to the timing would charge BYU for an error made by the league’s own officials, and the conference has already promised “a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week’s games.”

BYU field storming decision timeline

Not sure I’ve ever seen a field storming this packed. Student section is still pouring in. pic.twitter.com/1Qf9lJFy41

— CFBudge (@CF_Budge) October 18, 2026

The safety review hinges on whether Notre Dame’s players and the officials got off the field cleanly. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has tied the rule to that standard, saying “The Big 12 prioritizes the safety of all players, coaches and officials.”

Most of the 65,179 fans in attendance ended up on the turf, and BYU coach Kalani Sitake needed about a half-hour to get through the crowd clogging the Cougars’ tunnel before his postgame news conference. “It added to the drama and the storming of the field, stuff like that, but I want some boring wins,” Sitake said.

Colorado heard from the league three days after its 2025 storming, and Oklahoma State announced its decision the Tuesday after the Oregon game. BYU’s answer could come by midweek, with the 6-0 Cougars holding their first win over the Irish since 2004.