Saturday's SEC men's basketball matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the visiting Georgia Bulldogs encountered a brief delay in the first half when a fire broke out in a popcorn machine at a concession stand in the upper level of the arena.
It happened with 15:31 remaining in the first half with Georgia holding an 11-7 lead. With the game about resume after a TV timeout, SEC Network broadcasters couldn't help but notice some rather intense flames coming from a popcorn machine in the upper level which sent fans scattering from the immediate vicinity.
The Georgia-Oklahoma basketball game had to be delayed after a popcorn machine caught fire at one of the concession stands 😳 pic.twitter.com/PidoKWscSm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2026
Fortunately, the sprinkler system at Lloyd Noble Arena was activated and extinguished the fire rather quickly, keeping the fans safe and allowing the game to resume after a brief delay for the smoke to clear. Another factor which may have helped to minimize panic was that the arena was only about two-thirds full. With just over 7,000 fans in attendance and arena capacity at around 11,000, fans had plenty of room to move away from the flames.
Believe it or not, this is not the first time we have seen a concession stand on fire. Last year, a fire broke out at a spicy chicken sandwich booth a few hours before a San Francisco Giants game which required an evacuation of the stadium. In that case, the fire was brought under control and the game started on time with no delay.
As for the game in Oklahoma, it was a close first half with Georgia heading into halftime with a 43-41 lead. However, the Sooners took control with an 18-0 run in the second half and Oklahoma came away with a 94-78 victory.
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Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports).
