Iowa State upset yet another top ranked football opponent last weekend.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, students and fans alike stormed the field in celebration of a big win for the program. However, because of that celebration, the Big 12 Conference is now fining Iowa State $25,000.

Cyclone fans weren’t the only ones rushing their home field last Saturday though. Louisiana State University also knocked off a top 10 team at the University of Georgia, which led to a with a similar post-game celebration ensuing.

The moment Tiger fans stepped foot onto the “area of play,” Louisiana State was liable to a $100,000 fine as per Southeastern Conference (SEC) policy.

At first glance, it might seem as if Iowa State should be happy, seemingly getting away with the same thing as Louisiana State at a quarter of the price. In actuality, Iowa State should be much more upset.

The SEC has a policy that clearly states the punishment for letting fans rush the field. The Big 12 has no such policy. Iowa State is being fined for not following event management procedures which exist to keep the visiting team safe. According to West Virginia’s coach, “No one was hurt that I’m aware of.”

Player safety is important, there’s no doubt about that. However, the current policy is subjective. The opposing team can complain to the conference commissioner, who can raise a concern and all of a sudden, a university is responsible for a big fine.

This wouldn’t be a problem if the Big 12 Conference would implement a policy like the SEC’s proactively instead of fining a team reactively 

For example, the SEC’s policy has larger fines for each infraction, encouraging schools to not let rushing the field become a habit. A similar policy would be just as effective in the Big 12, but more importantly, it would be objective. Schools could weigh the cost of a fine against player and fan safety.

Perhaps schools should completely rearrange fan seating so as to prevent students from crossing paths with the opposing team as they exit the field. Or they could put up really big fences and concrete barriers. They could even put armed security in front of the student section as a deterrent.

Or, the Big 12 could adopt a simple policy just as the SEC has.