College Basketball
Potential New College Basketball ‘Court-Storming’ Rules After Caitlin Clark Gets Hurt by Ohio State Fan in Iowa Loss
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All posts by David EvansUpdated22 Jan 2024
In the wake of Iowa’s star player Caitlin Clark being injured during a court-storming incident after a game against Ohio State, the college basketball world is asking tough questions about the safety of players and the need for stricter regulations. The incident, where Clark was knocked down by a fan, has highlighted the risks associated with such celebrations.
Caitlin Clark injury after the Ohio State game… pic.twitter.com/uLwtBmxF99
— DadsDontPlay (@Dadsdontplay) January 21, 2024
Caitlin Clark Gets Knocked Down by Fan Storming the Court
Caitlin Clark collided with a fan after #18 Ohio State Buckeyes beat her #2 Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday. As is tradition in college basketball, fans stormed the court after the win and a Buckeyes fan knocked the wind out of Clark. Clark revealed she is fine after her injury, but the question now turns to how college can better protect its players from the risk of storming the court.
Immediate concerns have turned to preventing similar occurrences in the future. One approach could be the stricter enforcement of existing rules that prohibit fans from entering the court. This might involve more rigorous penalties for schools and fans who violate these rules.
Additionally, there’s a call for increased security measures. Deploying additional personnel and possibly even police to act as a barrier between the fans and the players, or creating designated zones for fans to celebrate while keeping a safe distance from the players, could be effective strategies.
Another possibility is implementing a time delay for fan access to the court post-game, allowing players, coaches, and officials to exit safely before fans are permitted to enter. This could ruin the spontaneity of storming the court, but if we are looking to protect players this could be an option.
Possible Bold Strategies to Reduce Number of Storming the Court Incidents
If college basketball is looking at eliminating court-storming entirely, there are several bolder measures it could implement. These include:
- Automatic game forfeiture: Home team automatically forfeits the game if fans storm the court.
- Legal action against offenders: Teams could look at pursuing legal action against fans who storm the court.
- Ban on home fans: Teams could play several future games without fans if they violate the court-storming rules
The incident has certainly put the spotlight on the need for change. While celebrating victories is a cherished part of college sports, ensuring the safety of everyone involved remains paramount. Seeing waves of fans storming the court after an upset win is one of college sports’ greatest pleasures. So doing away with it completely may be a touch optimistic, but making it safer should be towards the top of the NCAA’s agenda.
