Students injured following App State win

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Photo by Jacob Bashura

Following to football team’s win agaist Appalachian State University students jumping the wall onto the field.

Three people were sent to the hospital and two were injured following the Chanticleer football team’s win against Appalachian State University on Nov. 3, according to Director of Communication Jerry Rashid.

Rashid said Nov. 7 the two who were injured and not sent to the hospital received care at the stadium. He said he did not know any more details.

After the game ended, a swarm of Coastal Carolina University football fans ran out onto the field to celebrate the win. Fans dropped onto the field from the student section, jumping the 6-foot barrier wall to get down to the turf.

Master of Arts and Teaching student Zachary Lane posted a photo of his broken leg on Nov. 6 on Twitter.

“I broke my leg pretty badly while storming the field at the Coastal Football game. What an awesome game! Go Chants! I’m gonna #BEL1EVE and have faith that I will be better from this. Trusting in God’s plan!” Lane posted.

Vice President for Executive Initiatives and Chief of Staff Travis Overton said he did not have information regarding the injuries.

The post-game celebrations were not the only fallout University administrators delt with after the game.

Students’ chants of “F— App State” during the game prompted University President Michael Benson to again put students on notice about their behavior.

Benson sent a campus-wide email Nov. 7 scolding students for using fowl language in chants shouted at Appalachian State.

In the email, Benson said CCU “fell embarrassingly short” of the expectations for behavior at the game, which was televised on ESPN.

“Profane chants could be heard very distinctly on the national broadcast and violated our very own University sportsmanship statement that is crystal clear as to what is expected of all those who attend events,” Benson said in the email.

Benson said he expects students to have sportsmanship and respect toward the opposing team.

“In the past few days, I’ve received dozens of messages from people all over the country questioning why visiting fans were treated so poorly,” Benson said in the email.

The email directed students to two videos sent out during the previous season after profane chants were common during early season football games.

Overton said anytime there is heavy vulgarity or negativity, it is not a positive reflection of the University.

“Our hope is that we want our students and anyone else who’s supporting coastal to be in an environment where they’re welcoming individuals to be there,” Overton said. “We always want to engage in healthy competition as opposed to anything that may seem unhealthy or harmful.”