We ‘didn’t get our money’s worth.’ Mark Stoops jokes about UK’s field-storming fine.

After a $100,000 fine from the Southeastern Conference for what was probably the tamest field storming in program history, Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops joked Wednesday morning that the Cats got shorted on the celebration.

“We feel like we didn’t get our money’s worth because only a few fans leaked out there,” Stoops said on CBSSportsRadio’s “Taz and the Moose.” “We won by 21 points, so it wasn’t that dramatic. But those are good problems to have, I guess.”

The SEC has tried to police court and field stormings by levying escalating fines on its programs. Kentucky was fined $50,000 for the South Carolina game in 2014. Kentucky’s next offense will be a $250,000 fine.

“These rules are in place for a good reason: to ensure the safety of players, coaches and fans alike. We are committed to these rules and to doing everything in our power to follow them and avoid future penalties,” UK’s Mitch Barnhart said in a statement after the fine. “We ask our fans to remain in the stands to celebrate the victories our team is working to earn the rest of this season and beyond.”

Asking rabid fans to politely remain in their seats is one thing, actually preventing them from jumping over a wall and getting on the field is another and requires more security than most colleges hire on game days. Holding back a crowd of people intent on pushing forward can also create a dangerous situation.

No. 17 Kentucky plays unranked South Carolina in front of what is likely to be a sellout or near-sellout crowd at Kroger Field at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. A fifth straight win over the Gamecocks probably wouldn’t elicit much of a fan response Saturday night.

The Vanderbilt game on Oct. 20 should also keep the fans at bay.

If the Cats are somehow able to stage an upset over No. 2 Georgia on Nov. 3, UK is definitely going to need to take some proactive steps to avoid another big payment to the SEC.