SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference announced it has imposed a fine on the University of Portland for a violation of the Conference’s court storming policy. The violation occurred at the conclusion of the Feb. 4 men’s basketball game between Portland and Gonzaga at the Chiles Center on the Portland campus.

Portland’s fine is $5,000 for a first offense under the Conference’s court storming policy. Fines levied by the Conference will be donated to MENTOR, an organization associated with the late Bill Russell.

"The safety of our student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans is always our top priority,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson. “While we understand the excitement and emotion that come with an exciting victory, our policy is in place to ensure that these celebrations happen safely. We have imposed this fine to reinforce the importance of following these safety measures, and we will continue to work with our membership to uphold a safe environment for every competition."

The West Coast Conference policy related to court storming and associated penalties was adopted in November of 2023 to assure members of the visiting team, coaches, officials and administrative staffs have the opportunity to safely leave the playing surface prior to fans entering the court. A penalty structure was established. Subsequent offenses will result in a fine of up to $25,000 (second offense), and up to $50,000 (third offense) in the same season.