Tennessee's Alabama win brought cigars and a $500,000 field-storming fine tied to DeBoer's NIL fund

Tennessee beat Alabama, the traditional cigars came out, and the celebration also produced a $500,000 field-storming fine, according to Fox News. The report ties that fine to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer's NIL fund, meaning the penalty money from Tennessee fans rushing the field is presented as ultimately benefiting the opposing program's name, image and likeness efforts.

That twist sits alongside the familiar rivalry ritual of cigars after a Tennessee win over Alabama. The snippet accompanying the story also referenced separate coverage of the crowd noise record from the game and of Peyton Manning and others, but the Fox News headline itself centers on the result, the cigars, and the fine.

For Tennessee, the win itself remains the main event, with the $500,000 fine framed as an expensive footnote to the celebration and, per the report, an unintended contribution connected to DeBoer's NIL fund.