Fight Over Storming Field Hurts UCF Spirit
COMMENTARY, Football — By Danny Peterson on November 18, 2009 at 9:37 pmThe 2009 UCF Knights football season got off to a rocky start before the season had even begun. It all started when administration decided to cut tailgating hours (SEE VIDEO) and was met with an overwhelming response of outrage from UCF fans.
The fans and boosters appealed to keep the same tailgating hours, but their plea fell on the deaf ears of a board of administrators. Although the drama behind the tailgating cuts has died down, fans have displayed their displeasure throughout the year.
This past Saturday, the UCF Knights football team defeated a ranked team for the first time EVER. At any other school this type of win would be met with jubilation and students would storm the field.
How does UCF respond to this historic win? They surround the field with cops apparently armed with pepper spray pellet guns and stadium personnel.
UCF’s reasons for preventing students from storming the field are simple. They want to protect their property and they want to keep fans safe.
Although they may have saved money by protecting their property, preventing students from storming the field cost UCF a lot more.
There were many recruits at the Houston game this weekend. How great of an experience would it be for them to see the students storm the field? It would be something a recruit would want to be a part of in the near future.
Moments like these do not happen often at UCF and it was a shame for UCF to snatch that moment away from these students and fans.
Coach George O’Leary may not be the most popular head coach but he’s been on the fans’ side from day one. Video (SEE IT HERE) was taken prior to season with Coach O’Leary telling season ticket holders he is on the fans’ side of the tailgate cuts.
O’Leary found himself opposing UCF administration again this past Friday at Spirit Splash when CBS College Sports commentators reported how O’Leary was reportedly quoted as saying, “If we win Saturday, I’ll meet you at the 50 yard line.” (SEE VIDEO HERE) We are still awaiting a response from UCF Athletics for a comment.
We wanted to ask: “Would it have been possible to allow fans to safely run on the field through the tunnels after the biggest win in school history?”
Ironically, UCF’s Spirit Splash may be a more dangerous tradition than allowing fans to run onto the field through tunnels. KnightNews.com crews watched a performer slip and fall on her face and a student being helped out of the pond – unable to walk on his own — after being injured at the event.
The actions by UCF administration have displayed their lack of knowledge on how to become a relevant sports school. They have broken the number one rule in any sport: Keep The Fans Happy!
My proposal to UCF administrators is next time that moment approaches, protect your property, protect the goal post but don’t ever take a moment like that away from these students again.
Moments like those don’t happen often here at UCF — and for most fans that was their only chance.
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14 Comments
The biggest issue for the fans not rushing the field is the 10 foot drop from the top of the bleachers to the actual field. Not something that can be done by many people, especially very quickly.
Yes, it comes down to fans out numbering the police.. thats all it takes.
Its not that UCF doesnt want to do it.. they are not allowed to.
First off all, storming the field isn’t “allowed” anywhere. The fact that it happens at many stadiums but not at UCF just means that our students weren’t very good at it. Every stadium puts security down there. The students outnumber them and once 30 or so are down, the party begins. Notice 1 kid got arrested. Not 10. Not even 3. UCF didn’t stop students from storming the field, the students stopped themselves.
Moreover, you mention running out the tunnels in the poll. Were there even any students there trying to do this? Did they even think of it at the time? I await photos or videos of students trying to do this.
Thirdly, it’s in piss-poor taste that you try to bring Spirit Splash into this. What kind of service do you think your column is doing for the school and students? Are you trying to get rid of UCF’s best tradition as part of a hissy fit about storming the field? Think man, think!
Fourth – and this isn’t your fault since it is hard to tell on the CBS broadcast – O’Leary didn’t say he’d meet anyone at the 50 at Spirit Splash. He said it, jokingly, at the Lunch with George luncheon with donors and fans. The national tv media always goes to that event. They weren’t in the pond with their swim trunks and flippy floppys. A guy at the lunch asked if he would be storming the field (aka “are we going to Beat Houston?” and O’Leary said that he’d probably go to jail but he’d bring him a coffee if he did. It was just a humorous exchange.
http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=216899149072&ref=nf
It wasnt the cold water that caused the cramp!! Ive been in such water often, and others should have also encountered thatif that was the case. I had tripped over someone and my middle toe on my left foot crossed over the second toe. I had more pain from that than the cramp that u thought was the issue!
I think we should definitely be allowed to rush the field for a big win like this. People say that the school gets fined for it, but they only get fined if the opposing team is still on the field. If we let that team get off the field then there isn’t a fine whatsoever. Keep pursuing this issue KnightNews, as a student I believe UCF needs to let us show our school spirit for these types of wins. Imagine how cool that would have looked to recruits watching the game live in the stadium as well as on TV. GO KNIGHTS!
The problem is UCF gets fined by C-USA if we let people rush the field… and our school doesn’t have the money to spare.
I see a protest coming soon. With the number of students at this school I am surprised nothing has happened yet.
I was a volunteer for Spirit Splash last Friday. The student who was ‘injured’ actually just had a foot cramp. Maybe the cold water got to his foot, or maybe it just bad timing for his body to do that, so that’s why we had to help him out of the Reflection Pond.
I do agree with you though, that students should have been able to run onto the field. There were quite a few thousand more people at the stadium than at Spirit Splash, however; and the police may have wanted to keep the players on both teams safe. There could have possibly been fights etc. As far as the circumstances are of beating a ranked team, I think they should have let it slide.
he did say he was on fan’s sides!
Coach O’Leary did a luncheon with fans/media/ticket holders before the first game and said he supported tailgating cuts. Paraphrased: If you can’t get drunk by 7 when tailgating starts at noon, I don’t know what you’re drinking.
You make a good point, if you only knew how to write. Still waiting for comment? Pretty sure UCF has an entire communications staff. Try picking up the phone…
The worst part about the whole situation was that the grounds’ crew was ready to take down the goal posts, yet the edges and fences were guarded heavily by staff and armed police. Mixed message much?
couldn’t have said it better..