The collision between Caitlin Clark and a fan precipitates court-storming rumors. Do conferences intend to react?
A stark reminder of the dangers athletes encounter when crowds become unruly, the sight of one of the nation’s most popular athletes being knocked to the ground after a fan staring at her phone clashed with her whilst storming the court served as an example.
The collision occurred on Sunday as Iowa star Caitlin Clark was making her way to the locker room with her teammates after a 100-92 loss for then-No. 18 Ohio State within Columbus. Clark was shaken but not injured.
After a Big Ten game, supporters stormed the court for the second time within less than two weeks. It occurred in Lincoln on January 9 when the Nebraska men defeated the then-No. 1 Purdue.
Subsequently, Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter stated that game management staff must be more adequately equipped to safeguard athletes entangled in the chaos.
Four host schools among the six major hoops conferences are acceptable for the initial offense of failing to keep spectators away from the court. Fines are not imposed by the ACC or the Big Ten until the third offense.
“Our approach is to avoid excessively relying on the court-storming policy to address issues that may not even exist… In an interview with the AP on Monday, Big Ten Vice Chairman of Strategic Relations Scott Markley stated, “We don’t want to unjustly burden athletic departments that are already strapped for cash.”
“However, a policy does exist,” he stated. “However, in general, local law enforcement and school policy dictate what is best for officials, student-athletes, and fans.”
“Moreover, we consistently monitor these aspects and engage in discussions regarding the necessity of making adjustments to ensure a secure environment.”
On Monday, Iowa associate head coach Jan Jensen informed the Associated Press that Clark did not experience any post-collision repercussions.
Clark is nearing the milestone of becoming the all-time top scorer in Division I women’s basketball and is the current national star of the year.
“When an athlete takes to the field, particularly one who is arguably the most prominent college athlete, this could potentially ignite a discourse regarding the appropriate course of action,” Jensen explained.
Markley stated that security is addressed in the Big Ten’s game management manual. According to the manual, he stated that “host institutions are obligated to ensure sufficient protection and safety for visiting teams, officials, and their vehicles from the moment they arrive on campus until they depart.”
Markley stated that educational institutions “will bear accountability for student and band sections sponsored by the school that harass or single out student-athletes.”
Any institution failing to adhere to this policy will be subject to review and potential action by the conference.
Markley stated that a private notification is issued to the institution for the first offense. A public diagnosis of an institutional issue is prompted by the second offense. A fine may be imposed for a third infraction, according to Markley.
A stark reminder of the dangers athletes encounter when crowds become unruly, the sight of one of the nation’s hottest athletes being knocked to the ground after a fan staring that her phone collided with her while storming the court served as an example.
The collision occurred on Sunday as Iowa star Caitlin Clark was making her way to the locker room with her teammates after a 100-92 setback to then-No. 18 Ohio State in Columbus. Clark was shaken but not injured.
After a Big Ten game, supporters stormed the court for the second time in a matter of weeks.
It occurred in Lincoln on January 9 when the Cornhusker men defeated the then-No. 1 Purdue.
Subsequently, Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter stated that game management staff must be more adequately equipped to safeguard athletes entangled in the chaos.
“Our approach is to avoid excessively relying on the court-storming policy to address issues that may not even exist… In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Big Ten Vice President for strategic media Scott Markley stated, “We don’t want to unjustly burden athletic departments that are already strapped for cash.”