Featured Post from UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Why College Students Are Storming Fields More Often

UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences' Marshall Shepherd is a leading expert and regular media contributor to Forbes Magazine

Nov 3, 2025

2 min

J. Marshall Shepherd


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In his most recent  Forbes article, Dr. Marshall Shepherd takes a scientific look at why college students and fans storm football fields, blending insights from psychology, meteorology, and social dynamics. He explains that field-storming is not simply a burst of emotion—it’s a predictable outcome of collective excitement and shared identity. After an unexpected win or a high-stakes rivalry game, thousands of people simultaneously experience what psychologists call “emotional contagion,” amplifying feelings of unity and celebration. This shared surge, combined with environmental cues like stadium acoustics and crowd density, transforms the act into what Shepherd calls a form of “social weather event.”


“Storming the field isn’t chaos—it’s choreography fueled by emotion and crowd physics.”


Shepherd also examines the logistical and safety implications. He notes that while universities often celebrate these spontaneous displays of school pride, they carry risks ranging from crowd injuries to property damage. Yet, institutions are reluctant to ban them outright because these moments reinforce fan loyalty and media attention. Shepherd suggests that the solution lies in better understanding crowd behavior: designing stadiums with safe egress routes, training security teams to manage surges, and anticipating emotional tipping points rather than reacting afterward.


“Understanding the science behind fan behavior lets us manage energy, not suppress it.”


Ultimately, Shepherd’s piece reframes field-storming as a fascinating mix of culture and physics—where joy, identity, and momentum collide. He urges universities to see these moments not as mere rule-breaking but as opportunities to study human behavior in motion, and to design environments that celebrate passion without compromising safety.



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Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international weather-climate expert and is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. Dr. Shepherd was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS), the nation’s largest and oldest professional/science society in the atmospheric and related sciences.


View his profile here




Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is available to speak with the media about this interesting topic - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.


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J. Marshall Shepherd

J. Marshall Shepherd

Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor and Director, Atmospheric Sciences Program | Associate Dean

A leading International expert on weather and climate frequently called upon by the White House, Congress, and national media.

Hurricane and Tropical StormsClimateWeatherData AnalysisClimate Change

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