Jay Bilas Says College Basketball Fans Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Storm Courts
The ESPN analyst believes there needs to be more focus on player safety.
There have been multiple court storming incidents after big wins in college basketball this season, from Iowa’s Caitlin Clark colliding with an Ohio State fan to South Carolina getting fined for its fans storming the court after defeating Kentucky. These incidents have created a discourse regarding whether running onto the floor should be legal, and ESPN’s Jay Bilas made his case known on Saturday.
During College GameDay, Bilas argued that fans should not be allowed to rush the court in any way, regardless of how big the game is.
“Fans do not belong on the court ever, and players do not belong in the stands,” Bilas said. “When somebody gets hurt, we’re going to get serious about it.”
“Fans do not belong on the court ever.”
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 27, 2024
Agree or disagree with @JayBilas? ???? pic.twitter.com/7st6UgrL85
Bilas argued that college basketball is the only sport that allows court-storming, and other leagues have player safety as a top priority. He also compared storming the court to when players enter the stands, something that is heavily scrutinized whenever it happens.
On the other hand, Andraya Carter defended court storming, as long as the schools are prepared to protect the players.
“That’s the one thing, though, that you can do in college,” Carter said. “All you have to do is have a plan to get the opponents off the floor safely.”
Some conferences, such as the SEC, are trying to clamp down on rushing the court by fining schools that do it. However, administrators have been willing to pay the fines whenever it happens.