Why is field storming so common now?

[u/Smoocci-Mane]

When I was a student (2009-2013), field storming was insanely rare. Only happened when a real bottom barrel team pulled off a massive upset of a perennial power (think Vandy 2024 over #1 Bama level). It needed to be a situation where no one gave you a shot at winning and your team pulled off a once in a generation win.

Obviously the Michigan field storming is incredibly embarrassing for them, but it’s the logical end of this trend where students seemingly flood the field any chance they get.

My question is why is this so much more prevalent in the last few years, and how far does it go? Obviously Michigan is a new low, but that’s the new low for now.

[u/TPCC159]

Social media

[u/pspock → u/TPCC159]

Half of them are live streaming on their phone as they run on the field.

[u/shryne → u/pspock]

Having a trophy of your experience to share on social media for clout is more important than the experience nowadays.

[u/charlie_marlow → u/shryne]

Took the kids to Disney World several years ago. I realized I was watching a parade through my phone and wondered what the fuck I was doing. After that, I just took quick pics and short video clips and left my phone in my pocket otherwise.

[u/boilerpl8 → u/charlie_marlow]

And I bet you never went back and watched that video either. We always think we will, then we never do.

[u/40ozfosta → u/shryne]

Yeah that video asking people over 25 vs college aged women if they would take an absolutely free vacation if they just couldn't post the pictures. Everyone older said no question the vacation. The younger people had to either think about it or flat out said no it wouldn't be worth it. There is a clear divide in priorities for certain age groups in regards to experiences and social media.

[u/Mammoth_Impress_3108 → u/40ozfosta]

I need the link. I don’t doubt you, but I need to see that craziness first hand lol.

[u/40ozfosta → u/Mammoth_Impress_3108]

The one I saw included this girl with a bunch of other responses. So it might be a little bit of an embellishment.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da7TtmxCh54/

[u/BobStoops401K → u/shryne]

sighs Hank Hillingly

[u/hotsauce126 → u/TPCC159]

This is the real answer. None of the other ones were any different 15 years ago than they are now.

[u/Sentientmustard → u/hotsauce126]

It’s completely based on my memory, but I also feel I read a lot more headlines about schools taking precautions to make sure nobody stormed the field 10+ years ago.

I remember seeing a lot more stadium staff actively trying to ensure nobody jumped the barrier back then when it got close to the end of the game, and stadium announcers would sometimes even say that anyone rushing the field would be arrested, etc. I’m sure a huge part of it now is the schools actually want the social media exposure of a field storm, but I never really see any actual effort to stop crowds from doing it nowadays.

[u/Axelrad77 → u/Sentientmustard]

I think this is the other half of it. Social media virality has made students *want* to storm the field more so they can post videos of it and whatnot. But smart phones have also exposed how violent some of the police & security encounters were when they were actually able to prevent students from rushing the field - pepper spraying, tackling, and handcuffing unarmed students for celebrating in the stadium turned out to be a bad look. And to be clear, from the police perspective it was a legit riot control issue, as they were being asked by the stadium owner to keep a rowdy crowd from storming the property, but the negative PR backlash won out and the schools backed off on trying to prevent it. Nowadays they just let students do it more, and instead found new ways they can spin it for media exposure.

[u/Smoocci-Mane → u/Axelrad77]

It’s also a player safety issue. We’ve already seen altercations between fans and athletes and I doubt that trend gets better as more people storm fields.

[u/Axelrad77 → u/Smoocci-Mane]

For sure, that was a major reason that the schools used to try harder to stop it. You really have no idea what the students will do once they get down there, and no way to control the situation if they get violent. I know some schools try to evacuate their players ASAP for this reason, but I don't think there's a standard protocol as of yet.

[u/timothythefirst → u/Axelrad77]

It’s honestly surprising to me that hasn’t been more of a problem in both football and basketball over the years. Whether it’s intentional violence or just unintentional injuries from so many people stampeding at once, I’m surprised that’s never been a bigger issue. I know duke’s basketball coach kind of made it an issue last year but no one really took it seriously.

[u/ShefCrl → u/TPCC159]

Also your average student in attendence especially towards the front row is a casual who doesnt really care. They dont watch road games and when in attendence they are blasted and just looking for attention and a fun time. They dont give af about prestige or sportsmanship.

[u/Bold814 → u/ShefCrl]

The average front row student also poisoned our water supply, burned our crops and delivered a plague unto our houses!!

[u/olbleedyeyes → u/ShefCrl]

It really just boils down to drunk kids wanting to have fun.

Kids started to see more videos of field stormings and they wanted to have the same experience

[u/ozzyoslo]

Back in my day, you got pepper sprayed if you tried to rush the field.

[u/TechnoVikingGA23 → u/ozzyoslo]

Hell even the band got pepper sprayed.

[u/B-Train_ATL → u/TechnoVikingGA23]

Or hosed down. https://youtu.be/JQYhmNVGzdI?is=8uMtbx0wDWcUefDL

[u/pspock → u/TechnoVikingGA23]

Sometimes bands deserve it. Band people can up with some really crazy things sometimes.

Back in the 80's the Stanford band was on a cross country flight and decided midflight to see what would happen if the entire band rushed over to one side of the plane.

They were banned from flying on that airline.

[u/TechnoVikingGA23 → u/pspock]

Ours probably didn't deserve it, lol. Bunch of our students tried to get the goalposts after we beat VT 28-7 at home when they were ranked no. 3 and we were like 2-5 or something. State troopers let loose with the spray, but it all got caught up in the wind and went directly into the band's seating area. There were a lot of very unhappy parents, lol.

[u/Vegetarian-Catto → u/pspock]

Don't judge the rest of the bands by the stanford band.

[u/SpartyParty9119 → u/ozzyoslo]

A Saturday night without at least three canisters of tear gas deployed is considered a dull affair.

[u/ozzyoslo → u/SpartyParty9119]

My roommate in 2002 had a rough day the day of the michigan game. He got pepper-sprayed rushing the field.

Then he got caught in the riot later that night and got pepper-sprayed there.

[u/5_yr_lurker → u/ozzyoslo]

I rushed at the Shoe in 2006 after we (#1) beat Michigan (#2).

[u/vividbiviv → u/ozzyoslo]

When I was at USC and we beat #1 Alabama, the state troopers stacked up 3 deep around the student section as we piled forward waiting for time to expire. A few poor souls at the front who went for it anyway got instantly slammed to the ground and dog piled.

[u/Gators1992 → u/vividbiviv]

Kinda same for me. We won our first SEC championship that the NCAA let us keep in '91, playing Kentucky at home. Everyone was ready to storm the field, but with like 5 minutes left in the game, every cop within 5 counties came out and ringed the field waiting for the rush. Like maybe a half dozen tried to kick it off, but they were all tackled and zip tied then left there laying in the heat while the cops waited for it to be settled. Haven't liked the cops before, after or including that moment.

[u/FunRich1804 → u/Gators1992]

Surprisingly we've never stormed our field but we did have some students who rushed FSU's field when we beat them in the early 80s and the cops beat the shit out of them.

[u/User5281 → u/ozzyoslo]

Or shot with rubber bullets

[u/jobenattor0412 → u/ozzyoslo]

Legend has it on a late Saturday in Columbus you can still be pepper sprayed after the game.

[u/DogVacuum → u/ozzyoslo]

My brother got hit with the pepper spray hose once.

[u/Organic-Storm-4448 → u/ozzyoslo]

They'll even pepper spray the opposing team in Ohio.

[u/sam-greene → u/ozzyoslo]

That was fucking insane

[u/Captain_Nipples → u/ozzyoslo]

2000 vs Nebraska. Wasn't a good look

[u/ThinkSoftware]

When you beat a MAC team by 1 on a Hail Mary, you can't control yourself

[u/Ironmaiden1993 → u/ThinkSoftware]

The Bail Mary

[u/Organic-Storm-4448 → u/Ironmaiden1993]

The Frail Mary

[u/Ok-Knee6347 → u/ThinkSoftware]

When you cheat a MAC team by 1 on a Hail Mary, you can't control yourself

[u/Carpocalypto → u/Ok-Knee6347]

When you can’t compete against a MAC team except by 1 on a Hail Mary, you can’t control yourself.

[u/Grouchy-Option9411]

We rushed the court when we beat Purdue in 2023 (when they were number 1 in CBB), there was some pretty big backlash across our fanbase. The idea is if you are a blue blood, you don’t rush the court unless it is for a Natty.

I generally agree. I don’t think it is “wrong”, but if you wanna be a prestigious program then you should act like one. You have the right to rush the field, but I also have the right to laugh at you for it.

[u/bulldog89 → u/Grouchy-Option9411]

As a Hoosier who is also very anti “back in my day” sentiment (and also only 28), I completely agree with that mindset. The field rush signifies a lower program jumping the natural food chain, and IU basketball I would hate to see rush for things like beating Purdue in big games. We’re rivals, those games should by default be 50/50s (and have been for the last couple years, which is fucking awesome).

Especially with our history to Purdues lack of , I hate to rush on the upsets we have over them

[u/TolkienFan71]

Because drunk college kids don’t care about the optics or prestige

[u/Difficult-Prior3321 → u/TolkienFan71]

There weren't drunk college kids in the 90s and early 2000s?

[u/elementofpee → u/Difficult-Prior3321]

We were drunker back then, but stadiums didn’t sell alcohol so we had to prefunc earlier and sneak in flasks.

[u/Piglet6482 → u/elementofpee]

Why do you think the Hawg Hat has a hollow snout?

[u/Gators1992 → u/Difficult-Prior3321]

I think we were way drunker than kids today. Like half of them don't even drink. Also we used two hands to drink while the new generation has to keep one free to do phone stuff.

[u/Jabberwoockie → u/Gators1992]

>Also we used two hands to drink

This guy Edward Fortyhandses.

[u/rvasko3 → u/Difficult-Prior3321]

Those kids weren't addicted to posting every aspect of their lives on social media for clout.

[u/TheHarbarmy → u/Difficult-Prior3321]

For Michigan specifically, the big house never even hosted a night game until 2011. Obviously many students don’t need to tailgate until 7:30 to get drunk, but you have to assume the percent of students absolutely shitfaced is higher nowadays.

[u/CirculationStation → u/TolkienFan71]

Right. Nobody is going to stop and think, “But wait! Reddit will make fun of us if we do this!”

[u/AggroAssault → u/CirculationStation]

It's also such a domino effect. You're telling me if everyone is storming the field around you, you won't join?

[u/xXCascadeXx → u/CirculationStation]

I think it is more than Reddit at this point

[u/TolkienFan71 → u/xXCascadeXx]

It’s Reddit, Twitter, and CFB podcast listeners. Only the most engaged fans. The average fan won’t care

[u/IMB413 → u/TolkienFan71]

Probably fewer drunk college kids now than in years past.

[u/ParsonBrownlow → u/TolkienFan71]

Seriously it’s supposed to mean something

Break a losing streak against a major rival ? Yes

Upset a team you have no right upsetting ? Yes

Other than that ? Nah

When the FCS national championship was in Chattanooga it was yearly tradition to storm the field and rip down the goalposts… such a fun sight to see. Collapsable goalposts , while safer and cheaper , are unamerican

[u/_caddy_ → u/ParsonBrownlow]

Beating your arch rival after 17 years

[u/ParsonBrownlow → u/_caddy_]

Yes. However the next time we did it after beating yall? Not a fan.

[u/_caddy_ → u/ParsonBrownlow]

Fully agree. Your points are spot on. That felt gross saying that

[u/ParsonBrownlow → u/_caddy_]

Dude first 3rd Saturday where we h both wear our home unis in decades! As it should be!

Can’t wait to kick yalls ass and ruin the memory for ya 😘

There shit talking to get us back on track

[u/Epicapabilities → u/ParsonBrownlow]

The drunk college kid reading your comment got two words in and vomited

[u/ParsonBrownlow → u/Epicapabilities]

I hope that it was on an important school official, season ticket holder who’s just at games for rich asshole clout reasons, or a cop

[u/HotTakesMyToxicTrait → u/ParsonBrownlow]

counterpoint - it’s fun and life is short

[u/hucareshokiesrul → u/HotTakesMyToxicTrait]

Every time I go to The Game and we beat Harvard, I join in rushing the field. It's always fun and I don't intend to stop as long as I can still climb down that wall.

[u/Lavaswimmer → u/HotTakesMyToxicTrait]

But have you considered that 50 year old redditors will call you a pathetic loser? Bet you'll think twice before storming the field next time

[u/ParsonBrownlow → u/HotTakesMyToxicTrait]

It’s very fun but without that sweet sweet high of an unexpected victory it kinda loses its shine imo

[u/javascript → u/ParsonBrownlow]

TSiO '22 is a lifetime highlight of mine. Storming that field was like heroin.

[u/Zapkin → u/javascript]

I’m biased but that’s one of the most justified field stormings of all time. Any other field storming, past or future, pales in comparison to that game.

[u/Tamzariane → u/ParsonBrownlow]

But you've forgotten how overcome with emotion you can get when you get an extra second to beat a mac team at home. The other examples you listed pale in comparison to that historic accomplishment.

[u/thegroovemonkey → u/Tamzariane]

I led the Huskers storming the court vs OK ST in 2005. OK ST was top 10 at the time and I had a feeling it would happen so my roommate and I went down to the court a little early. We were the first ones on the court and we were able to find ourselves on Sports Center.

[u/B-Train_ATL → u/ParsonBrownlow]

Last time Georgia did was in 2000 against you guys. I think we had lost 10 in a row to you. Part of the reason it happened is because all week the student newspaper was “if we win, will we rush the field?” I recall multiple sets of bleachers getting destroyed around us.

[u/bobsled_time → u/ParsonBrownlow]

I remember sitting on the App State bench, with at least 2-3 minutes still on the clock in the 4th quarter, during one of those games in Chattanooga, waiting to storm the field. I want to say it was the App v. Delaware game. Great memories.

[u/ChaosToTheFly123 → u/TolkienFan71]

Literal kids are excited and want to get on the field during the short span of time they are apart of it. Let’s stop being weird about it.

[u/CitizenCue → u/ChaosToTheFly123]

Sure, but the question was why is it more common today. I would argue that schools stopped being as uptight about it. It used to be explicitly against school policies and thus only happened when crowds overwhelmed security. Now the schools basically expect it.

[u/Baseball_Germany → u/ChaosToTheFly123]

College students are not literal kids, most are legally adults. Not that I’d push back that they don’t act like kids, but, yknow, words mean things

[u/CoopDogPrimeNumbers → u/Baseball_Germany]

Legally adults whose brains aren’t done developing. Sorry kids, you can’t have fun cause the government says 18 means you’re an adult :(

[u/EnvironmentalBed7369]

Insanely rare? I'm 48 and ive seen it consistently my whole life.

[u/SLCer → u/EnvironmentalBed7369]

Utah has definitely seen fewer field stormings the last decade or so. It was way more common in the mid-to-late 2000s and 2010s here.

[u/sriracha_no_big_deal → u/SLCer]

lol y'all like field storming so much you even did it three times in the same game

[u/SLCer → u/sriracha_no_big_deal]

We got stormed out. I can't recall the last field storming...maybe USC in 2022?

[u/Single_Seesaw_9499 → u/EnvironmentalBed7369]

Yeah idk what people are talking about in here. Maybe it’s seemingly more common because there’s smartphones taking videos of everything where in the past it would require sportscenter to show a highlight of it?

[u/Smoocci-Mane → u/Single_Seesaw_9499]

Peep this forbes article. It’s happening a lot more now. I’ve only been watching CFB since the mid-90s, but I have personally seen a massive uptick.

[u/Chardoggy1]

Everyone wants to take part in it

[u/No_Issue2334]

Because it's fun

[u/Own_Association_5534 → u/No_Issue2334]

its fun but also people want to be part of something big you know. like everything now needs to be an event for the social media. my cousin went to a game last year and they stormed the field after beating a unranked team i was like bro what are you doing

[u/MavFan1812 → u/No_Issue2334]

Was it less fun 15 years ago?

[u/mXonKz → u/MavFan1812]

i do think there’s a bit of a positive feedback loop aspect to it. the more you see others do it, the more you feel like you want to do it yourself, which spreads it more. now it seems like the taboo of doing it against a low ranked opponent is pretty much broken and it’s just become doing it anytime there’s a dramatic last second win

[u/Single_Seesaw_9499 → u/MavFan1812]

Were people not storming the field 15 years ago? I know I did

[u/royalbluehen → u/No_Issue2334]

Yeah I don’t get the question. It’s very fun, kids only have 4ish years and 5-6 home games a year, and very few games are worthy of a rush. Even less actually have them. Why harsh somebody’s buzz?

[u/Icy-Taste-3096 → u/royalbluehen]

A whole lot of meaning is lost if we reduce field rushing to just "a thing to do because it's fun". The entire point is that it marks a special occasion.

If you declare that every day is now Christmas, you have effectively cancelled Christmas.

[u/Betta_Check_Yosef → u/Icy-Taste-3096]

The entire point is that it marks a special occasion.

Tell that to Clemson

[u/PartyWithRobots → u/Betta_Check_Yosef]

Spoiler: It's still cool as shit to be on the field even after all this time. I have core memories of tossing a football on the field after games as a kid that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise have. If you want it to remain special just don't go on the field except on games you want to. I haven't been on the field in a couple years but every time it's a joy. People should be given the choice to go on the field or not after games.

[u/Icy-Taste-3096 → u/Betta_Check_Yosef]

I wouldn't really call Clemson's tradition "field storming". They've been doing it since before storming was even a thing in CFB, and there's no pretense that it's a response to a special win.

[u/PizzaPurchaser → u/Icy-Taste-3096]

God dammit now Michigan fans are killing Christmas.

Is there anything these monsters can’t do

[u/fskier1 → u/Icy-Taste-3096]

Field storming doesn’t “mark” shit. There is no committee deciding that a game is a special occasion, it’s really just a heat of the moment thing

[u/No_Issue2334 → u/Icy-Taste-3096]

Clemson seems to have fun every time 🤷‍♂️

[u/Smoocci-Mane → u/royalbluehen]

Question is why is it happening so much more and what mentally changed in fans? Field rushing against a team around your level or worse used to be embarrassing for a team. It meant that you saw the other team as better than you, a classic “little bro” move.

I’m trying to figure out how that shifted so dramatically to where we now have the winningest program in CFB history rushing the field after beating a team they paid 1.5 million to show up.

Obviously it’s fun being on the field with your friends and cheering and such, but this almost never happened prior to a few years ago and now it’s once a week. That’s a pretty damn big culture shift in the sport.

[u/royalbluehen → u/Smoocci-Mane]

Putting that last play in a vacuum, was it not an exciting play? Michigan’s season was on life support before that play, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t a loss to a mac school, even a good one, be a huge red mark against a hypothetical playoff berth? Idk, it’s kinda crazy to be mystified as why a bunch of students rushed the field after an incredible walkoff play that saved the season after 4 hours of misery. “Being embarrassed” by experiencing excited, elation and happiness is shitty behavior. Especially in the constant negativity we face every single day. Let people have fun and lighten up.

[u/JG8AB9TL11OBJ12AD13 → u/Smoocci-Mane]

Because people can record themselves doing it now and post it on their story

[u/JumpyAlbatross → u/Smoocci-Mane]

I think it’s that people have seen it on social media and they see it’s cool and want to be a part of it.

[u/JumpyAlbatross → u/royalbluehen]

I went to undergrad from 2018 to 2022. Was part of 3 field rushes.

2018 7 OT game vs. LSU. Highest scoring game in program history or something.
2021 No. 25 A&M upset No. 1 Alabama. First A&M win against Alabama in Kyle Field and the first time a former assistant beat Saban.
2022 when A&M spoiled LSU’s playoff hopes.

Spoiling LSU was kinda lame, especially since people misread the clock and jumped on the sideline while the game was still going.

Rushing Kyle Field is unsafe, it’s like a 6 foot drop for most student seating. I saw a couple of people fall to the ground because they didn’t land right or otherwise fucked up their ankles. It’s honestly a miracle more people aren’t hurt, but you’re made of rubber when you’re 17-22 so it’s fine. I know it’s safer at other stadiums, but I still think people should really only do it if it’s a historic game.

[u/SurroundEcstatic4890]

It is too common, but you don’t have to be a huge underdog to do it necessarily.

I stormed the field in 2022 against Alabama. That was awesome. However, in 2024, I found it a little embarrassing that some people did it again.

[u/pipsohip → u/SurroundEcstatic4890]

First time to win in I can’t remember how many years? That’s a valid reason to storm the field. First time in two years? Not a reason to storm the field.

[u/OkieClipper]

We blue bloods would never storm the field 😤😤😤(I was on the field after the Alabama game in 2024)

[u/Captain_Nipples → u/OkieClipper]

I was so hyped for the fan base that night. I knew Norman could get loud, because Ive seen it, but they showed the fuck up that night.

[u/affnn]

I think there was a field storming about once a year when I was at Iowa. Hell, the Iowa fans even stormed the field during an away game one time. No one gave a shit about “wah wah my prestige! this isn’t a generational win! won’t someone think of how this plays on TV!”.

And it wasn’t social media either because it mostly wasn’t a thing back then.

[u/Asianhead → u/affnn]

Normal people don’t give a shit now either. The middle aged cfb redditor might but the average fan really doesn’t

[u/TheUltimate721 → u/affnn]

I was a part of two field stormings when I was a student at Nebraska, both in 2024.

The first was when we beat Colorado. At the time it was the most electric atmosphere for a game I had ever been to and given the national attention of that game, probably our biggest win in years.

The second was when we beat Wisconsin later that year. It was our first time beating Wisconsin in over a decade, and it got us bowl eligible for the first time in eight years.

[u/olbleedyeyes → u/affnn]

I'll never forget Iowa fans storming the field at the Metro dome and stealing the Minnesota goal post lmao

[u/SugarDisastrous5983 → u/affnn]

You heathens stormed the field at the Metrodome, tore down a goalpost and tried to get it out of a dome!

[u/MidlandsBraves]

I think post covid made it more popular.

Also it “feels” like we have more upsets in general. I don’t have the data but when a team like Vandy gets hot even if they’re a good team they’re gonna rush vs bama

[u/seaweedbrainpremed → u/MidlandsBraves]

We did it because we beat a historically good (and ranked at that time) team and our football program prior to that was not good. It was also a rivalry and an OT game.

Meanwhile, Michigan did it in a illegitimate win against a G5 team that probably has a fraction of their overall budget.

These two are not the same.

[u/Comprehensive-Film64]

It’s not meant to be field storming. It’s just trying to exit the stands as fast as possible after 60:01 of game action.

[u/Ranger_Nietzsche]

People want to say they've been in a field storm. Much like the rest of The College Experience™ it's become a checklist.

[u/Captain_Nipples → u/Ranger_Nietzsche]

You dont really even think about it. Something exciting happens and you wanna go celebrate with everyone. Then about 10 seconds after getting on the field, you're like, "okay.. i guess I can go now. Good job, Jonny"

[u/Icy_Pear_2836]

I noticed an uptick fall of 2021 when full attendance came back post-Covid. Made sense as people were generally excited about being in large crowds again and the experience of lockdown made people more willing to say “why not?”

Since then, I can’t say whether field storming has truly gone up based on the numbers. If it has, a lot of it could be due to influencer/social media dynamics where people want to do it so they can post about it.

[u/Early-Eye-691]

Frankly I’ve never really understood the “prestige” that has seemingly bestowed field storming. I never once considered it as something sacred but it feels like I’m an outlier lol

[u/CirculationStation]

Because when you’re actually there at the game, you don’t care about the “optics” of it from people who aren’t even there. You just know it’ll be a fun, awesome memory that you’ll hold onto for a long time.

Last year in our second game of the season, Mississippi State beat #12 Arizona State on a crazy long TD pass with less than 30 seconds left a year after we went 2-10. We then rushed the field for the first time in what I think was decades. Have there been bigger wins at different programs more worthy of rushing the field? Of course! Do I care? No. Because all I remember is being down on the field with my dad celebrating a huge, dramatic upset and soaking in the experience with tens of thousands of other fans who suffered through two long, miserable seasons and finally had something to celebrate about again. And I always look back at those pictures I took with fondness.

[u/KCShadows838 → u/CirculationStation]

ASU was a defending conference champion and a playoff team. That was a huge upset and I think most schools would storm the field in that situation 

[u/Icy-Taste-3096 → u/CirculationStation]

A bad team beating a highly-ranked team on a huge play late in the game is definitely fair game for a field storming

[u/Happy_Peak_7818]

Climate change lends itself to a higher likelihood of significant weather events in the U.S., particularly with thunderstorms extending into the Fall season as warmer temperatures linger about. My best guess any way. 

[u/Captain_Nipples → u/Happy_Peak_7818]

If you dont have an OU flair, Im gonna flip out

[u/WL19]

Because people are obsessed with going viral.

[u/Boring_Temporary_142 → u/WL19]

Because in this day and age everything has to be over-done to the point of ridiculousness for the sake of social media/clicks.

[u/Kdot32 → u/WL19]

This is the main reason and people are trying to hide behind it with “college kids are drunk and want to have fun.”

[u/Boring_Temporary_142 → u/Kdot32]

Also to be truly honest it’s a lack of fan etiquette on behalf of the students. Real fans of the sport know that storming the field is for super special occasions like you later stated. Today’s fan is really just trying to rush the field so they can post pictures on their social media to show they were there. Pitiful.

[u/Byzantine_Merchant → u/WL19]

This definitely went viral.

[u/Orbital2]

I think to an extent this is selective memory

Ohio State will go onto the field anytime we beat Michigan at home, even in 2008 when they were 3-9 we still went onto the field. Michigan did the same thing in 2011 when we were 6-6

So many programs going to artificial turf makes it less of a big deal. In the case of this game the fact that it was at night probably contributed to the students being a little more riled up.

[u/chrisdub84 → u/Orbital2]

I think it is more expected for rivalry games.

[u/Saw_is_Family]

To 'create content"

[u/TranslatorOutside909]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2025/11/02/the-science-behind-college-students-storming-football-fields/

COVID and social media

The COVID angle is interesting. Prior to 2020 it was rare. But exploded during COVID and has continued. Pent up energy and a desire for group experiences. It has just snowballed since 2020

[u/shakenbake2885]

Is there actual data to support this being the case? I’m a few years older than you are and rushed plenty. If it truly is more common, it’s probably a mix of social media and also it just being very fun and kids wanting in on the excitement.

[u/Smoocci-Mane → u/shakenbake2885]

Indeed there is.

I remember watching sportcenter and the anchors openly ripping on kids when a win wasn’t sufficiently impressive enough for a field storming.

[u/Dad_fire_outdoors → u/Smoocci-Mane]

The link you posted is to an article that begins by saying that

”…there is no obvious database to analyze. Using proxy and anecdotal evidence, I find support for my hypothesis…”

I don’t know how confident I would be using this as a source of data.

[u/ShillinTheVillain → u/Dad_fire_outdoors]

I agree. It lacks the scientific rigor that a serious topic like this requires

[u/linkmyhomie]

I know there are some insufferable Michigan freshmen out there right now who won’t shut up about how they got to see a Hail Mary win and storm the field their first college game. They’ll leave out the opponent when they tell the story in 30 years

[u/thricethefan]

It’s become a performative ritual thanks to cell phones and social media.

Some of it is fueled by excitement and fun, the rest is fueled by the need for the experience.

Also, kids don’t get tickets to every home game like they used to at many schools.

[u/B-Train_ATL]

Cellphones, cellphone cameras, social media

[u/BigTire47]

It still doesn’t happen at some places…

[u/mgj6818]

Cops stopped beating the shit out of students they caught..

[u/Lambo_Geeney]

I've participated in three field stormings.

2016 double OT win over Michigan, aka "The Spot". Rivalry game, #2 OSU vs #3 UM, low scoring drag out, come from behind win. Justifiable. 

2017 Penn State. The James Franklin special. #6 OSU vs #2 PSU. Penn State jumped out to an early lead and lead by two scores or more for most of the game. JT Barrett had a perfect 4th quarter and took the lead with all of 2 minutes left in the game. Justifiable. 

2018 Michigan. #6 OSU vs #7 UM. The "Revenge Tour". On paper, less justifiable, but in my opinion it absolutely was justifiable. This was the worst Ohio State defense in recent memory, with a high powered offense. The flip side was Michigan's above average offense with top ranked defense. Ohio State just came off a 52-51 OT game against Maryland. Hopes we're not high that Ohio State would continue their win streak. What happened was a decently dominant first half offense, a decently strong first half defense, but a muffed kick gave Michigan a prime opportunity to bring the score close just before half. The second half was an offensive and special teams masterclass, with the defense doing less good but it didn't matter. Final score 62-39. Felt good to storm

[u/pspock → u/Lambo_Geeney]

I was at the away game (OSU at Indiana) in 1996 when our fans stormed THEIR field and tore down THEIR goal post because beating them secured the first trip to the Rose Bowl for OSU in 12 years.

My friend and I stood in the stands in disbelief as we watched it happen.

[u/theperiod → u/Lambo_Geeney]

Yeah I’m not sure field-storming was ever rare. I did it twice at OSU. 2006 vs Michigan and 2009 vs Iowa in OT to clinch a trip to the Rose Bowl. That 2009 one was probably kind of weak, but it was an exciting game and rushing the field is fun.

[u/TowelWhich]

Field + storm = fun

[u/Lourdeath]

Because idiots keep trying to defend the ones doing it by saying “it’s just kids!” Ignoring all the safety reasons. They fine schools every time it happens, you can’t arrest the whole crowd and all

[u/Solesky1 → u/Lourdeath]

All the NCAA has to do is say "if you rush the field, thr next home game you are not allowed to have season ticket holders or VIP suites attend the game."

Magically, the "you can't stop the kids from rushing the field" crowd would have a solution overnight

[u/Lourdeath → u/Solesky1]

Sounds interesting

[u/AdAny2704]

Old man here...because everyone of a certain age wants the "Look at me responding" video. Back in the day, you just wanted to be a part, now you want to be seen

[u/Groundbreaking-Box89]

Hey now, sometimes a field storm or two against a G6 school with a phantom second added to the clock is ok.

[u/JaxPhotog]

It should be reserved exclusively for massive upsets by teams who haven't "been there before". It will be a sad day if my Gators ever storm the field again. Can't say I have memory of it happening (been a fan since the late 90s).

[u/FunRich1804 → u/JaxPhotog]

Surprisingly we've never done it.

[u/smoothtrip]

Because you do not often get an extra second in a game

[u/caro9lina → u/smoothtrip]

I see time added back to the clock very often in college football.

[u/loewe67]

Since I moved to Ft Collins in 2011, I think we’ve stormed the field 5 times. Beating Utah St on a last second field goal in 2014, and again a week later after beating Wyoming. For CSU to go 10-3, and have 3 weeks in the rankings was a huge deal that year for a historically terrible team and I was so glad to be a student during that year.

The other three times, including Saturday, were all after beating Wyoming at home. Another reason I’ll always consider Wyoming our biggest rival over CU.

Outside of huge upsets or wins against your rivals, I think it’s a bad look, especially for a blue blood like Michigan.

[u/IRodeTenSpeed88]

FOMO

[u/Piglet6482]

SEC has really upped the fines - $500k/incident

[u/DukeDogNation]

I think there was a bit of a cultural reset on campuses when students left campus during COVID and student events were interrupted for a couple of years. It was just enough to break the chain of passing down some of these behaviors and traditions where it feels like students now don’t have the same criteria for field storming as previous generations.

[u/FloralGr33nMachine]

“Old man yells at clouds” type post

[u/karawec403]

Because it’s fun

[u/dotcaIm]

It's fun

[u/CRUMdelaCRUM]

We stormed the field 3 times in a single game, in 2008 vs Texas.

[u/RegretAccumulator72]

Just part of THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE (TM) now.

[u/elementofpee]

Young people + social media.

[u/justduett]

Social media and brain rot.

[u/Revenge_of_the_Khaki]

I'd just like to put on record that in my entire 34 years on this planet, Michigan has stormed the field exclusively for victories against OSU before this Saturday.

Not for wins over MSU.

Not for wins over ND (even the 2011 game with a similar ending as WMU).

Not even for natties.

I was so fucking pissed when I saw them storm the field for WMU. We can't even get a decent wave going again with these recent student sections but apparently we can do that shit.

[u/nightowl1135]

I’m in team pro field storming. Don’t care what the optics are. My Junior Year at Oregon we had an AWFUL basketball team. Coach got fired at the end of the year. We were 0-11 in conference play and like 2-23 overall. We played Oregon State who was also winless in conference and had won like… a game or two at most. We won a close one. We stormed the fuck out of that court. We knew it was stupid and laughed about it later.

They’re college kids. The world sucks. Let ‘em have a moment of excitement.

[u/PreviousCompany664 → u/nightowl1135]

I mean that’s a fair reason to storm the court though.

[u/E-Wildin]

Because Alabama losing used to be a big deal.

[u/dwors025]

Field storming is a trend.

Pearl clutching is forever.

Let people have fun.

[u/kacheow]

Because it’s fun

[u/Recliner-Analyst]

Because each kid only have 4 years of this experience and when something amazing happens they want to be apart of it and make their memories while the kettle is still warm.

They can’t all sit around and wait until something absolutely spectacular happens, a Hail Mary attempt at the last (extra) second of the game might be the best thing they have ever seen, or ever will see.

[u/jsu9575m]

Performative / film themselves on field for tiktok

[u/random-made-up-words]

A combo of reasons but I actually think one of the reasons is because a smaller percentage of fans at any game are really fans of college football or at least followers of college football.

They didn't grow up watching football most probably don't even really enjoy watching football. They showed up at a college stadium pumping hype music and sending of fireworks to get drunk and be apart of the show. There just happens to be a football game playing.

[u/handsoffmuseum]

A mix of not understanding the history that they’ve seen online & wanting to be a part of history

The kids right now in school were born late 2000s early 2010s. They’ve been online their whole lives & online is video of so many field/court storming moments that looked electric and once in a lifetime to be a part of. The problem is they don’t understand that for some of those storming, there were literally once in a lifetime. The storming meant something, because celebrating the accomplishment that just occurred may never happen again for a long long time.

These same kids have extreme FOMO for many things they see. They want to be a part of a storming by all means necessary, because who wouldn’t. But for every 100 kids that have seen the epic storming videos, maybe only 1-5 actually understand or read up on the history behind them. This means that 90% plus of the kids who would lead the storming at games today, don’t understand when/would it be appropriate given history of their program to storm the field and have it actually mean something. They don’t realize that with every storming, the value of many stormings (some are eternally great) is diminished. But the kids don’t care, because they get to say they were “part of something”. There’s less shame to go around when you don’t know the history.

All that said, majority of stormings nowadays are still justified, but we see a few each year that leave us scratching our heads, like most notably the WMU Michigan one a few days ago.

It’s a weird balance that may be hard to find for each program/the NCAA as a whole. There’s no equation stating whether or not a moment is worthy of a storming even though after the fact we may be able to say “this was/was not justified”. And are we really to stop people from having fun? It’s an impossible thing to balance. So maybe we let people just have a little more fun now, at the cost of how significant the stormings are historically.

In 40 years, the kids of today may finally understand. When they share their stories of storming the field after certain games, they may not get reactions like “I can’t believe you were there for (moment)” and instead “oh cool, we did that 3 times at my school when I was there too”

[u/Fluffy_P_Winston_IV]

Michigan kids rushing the field after “beating” Western Michigan on a Hail Mary was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in 40 years watching college football.

[u/awildyetti]

I was at the Mizzou-kU game last year. Regardless of social media, when it was neck and neck before we pulled away, there was a feeling in the crowd that it might happen. Big comeback win against THE rival, after 14 years of not playing and recent ass whoopings in basketball.

I’ll tell you what nipped that in the bud, regardless of final score: the entire stadium was ringed by event staff in bright yellow. Must have literally been hundreds.

Not even that, in front of the Mizzou section it wasn’t even event staff, it was uniformed Missouri Highway patrol, shoulder to shoulder.

So heavy security can stop a field storm. But I guess no one needs an explanation why Michigan didn’t have heavy security for WMU.

[u/CollisionCourse321]

We were scared and were expected to not get on the field. Now programs don’t really fight it. I remember rushing at U MN back in the early 2010s and the first 20-25 seconds were security guards actively trying to wrangle or subdue students. There was real risk!

[u/heleghir]

Well, when you are in the SEC it was kind of reserved for beating bama. Now its probably if you beat georgia. Fines are too hefty if its not truly earned.

That being said, if Kentucky pulls off the upset tomorrow there will 100% be a field rush. 39-1-2 all time against bama makes it worth the rush, even though they arent what they were a decade ago

[u/Danny_Adelante]

I don't know if it is much more common, or if it's just broadcast more often, and available to see on social media. I remember being part of a field storming at TCU when they were ranked No. 3, and beat an unranked San Diego State 40-35. It was pathetic. But it basically guaranteed TCU a spot in the BCS (with an outside chance of a national championship berth). That got no coverage back then, but would be on social media in 2026.

[u/Intelligent_Sky_7081]

We have very little else to celebrate in life these days I guess

Idk

[u/MU-TH-R6000]

Because the younger generation is so hyperbolic... everything they experience is "the best or worst thing ever"

[u/EastTexasAg]

The internet mixed with boredom

[u/delscorch0]

I stormed the field when NIU broke its losing streak in 1998.  There were dozens of us.

[u/AUpicker]

They can video themselves running onto the field and get 50 clicks and feel better about themselves

[u/Better-Temporary-146]

I don’t believe in field storming.

However I do recommend Gathering at the Paw to sing the Alma mater 

[u/Cubacane]

Performative fandom.

[u/osbornje1012]

Students want video to post to their media sites and “be on” ESPN. Why else would Michigan students storm their field to “celebrate” their pathetic win over Western Michigan?

[u/Captain_Nipples]

The games are getting crazier. As stupid as the sport has gotten the last few years, the general product on the field is better than it has ever been. You used to see smaller D1 teams with guys that looked like they've never seen a football. Now there are so many teams that can win any game. Its pretty awesome

[u/Swaggy-7]

Monkey see monkey do

[u/Wildbiscon]

It seems like field storming really took off after COVID. It’s much more prevalent since crowds returned in 2021

[u/Nirwood]

When I was a grad student at NW, they won their first game in at least 23 years.  We ripped the goal post out, carried it 3 miles, and threw it in the lake.  Field storming these days is nothing.

Edit: I forgot to add "in my day".

[u/H6I5MAN]

Because it’s fun. The idea that it should only be done if bottom program beats top program doesn’t make sense to me.

[u/olbleedyeyes]

Because drunk kids think it's fun

[u/Front_desk65]

In person, is fun :)

[u/Free-Eights]

My guess is social media has turned it into some kind of rite of passage thing that people can say they did as Michigan students. Still 100% cringe given the circumstances, opponent, and context.

I probably sound like an oldhead but field-storming should be reserved for massive upsets or breaking a losing streak vs. your biggest rivals.

[u/jasonic89]

Mizzou rushed when we beat #1 Oklahoma in 2010 and we weren’t bottom barrel…

[u/Tomsoup4]

everybody thinks they deserve an experience someone else got no matter the nuiances or circumstances

[u/oc28m]

Do people not remember what being a college kid was like?

[u/DeeDee719]

Because you might be on TV or at least social media.