The Pac-12 fined the University of Colorado an additional $50,000 after fans rushed Folsom Field following the Buffs’ final home game of the season, bringing to $75,000 the total fines to the university during the first year under the conference’s new policy.

Pac-12 spokesman David Hirsch confirmed the conference fined CU for not stopping fans from immediately rushing the field after the Buffs’ 27-22 win over Utah on Nov. 26.

It was the Buffs’ second fine of the season. The conference assessed the school a $25,000 penalty after fans rushed the field following a 40-16 win over Arizona State on Oct. 15.

The university will pay the fines out of the athletic department’s operating revenue or contingency fund if needed.

“The safety of the players, coaches, referees and fans is our utmost concern,” CU spokesman Ryan Huff said. “We know that fans get excited for big wins, but we also ask them for their patience to allow the teams to start clearing before they would consider coming onto the field.”

While other athletic conferences already had fine schedules in place, this was the first year the Pac-12 adopted penalties for fans being on the football field or basketball court within 60 seconds of a game ending — a delay intended to give the visiting team’s players and coaches, as well as officials, time to safely get off the field or court.

A university can be fined $25,000 for its first offense, $50,000 for its second offense and $100,000 for its third offense.

It actually could have been worse for CU, as the school could have been fined a total of $175,000 this season.

Fans also rushed the field during a third game at Folsom Field — a win over Washington State on Nov. 19 — but Hirsch said the conference chose not to fine the school for that incident, though he did not say why that game in particular didn’t warrant a penalty.

But CU isn’t in the clear just yet, as the fines also apply to any basketball court stormings. It was fans rushing the court following a CU win over Arizona in men’s basketball that prompted the Pac-12 to implement the fines.

Luckily for CU, Hirsch said the fine ladder will start over for the basketball season, meaning the first court storming at the Coors Event Center after a basketball game would only result in a $25,000 fine.

But CU is hoping that the school can avoid fines altogether now that the students are more familiar with the new rule against rushing the field before the 60-second window has elapsed.

“We need at least 1 minute to safely move the teams along,” Huff said. “That’s why you saw video messages and screen announcements toward the end of the Utah game with those requests. We will bolster this type of messaging next football season — both before and during the games — so our fans have a better understanding of these rules.”

Mitchell Byars: 303-473-1329, byarsm@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/mitchellbyars