At least Saturday’s football game put extra cash in Kansas University’s wallet.

The athletic department will need it, because the on-field celebration following KU’s 31-28 victory Saturday over rival Kansas State will prove costly.

Kansas University fans haul the Memorial Stadium goalposts to Potter Lake after the Jayhawks beat Kansas State. The KU victory Saturday prompted a mass of students and fans to rush onto the field, tearing down the goalposts and causing minor damage.

Many of the 50,152 fans who attended the thriller paid a premium price for a seat — $65, easily an all-time Memorial Stadium high.

After the game ended, fans stormed the field, took off with the two goalposts and threw them in Potter Lake — leaving KU with the tab.

“The major thing is the goalposts,” KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said of the damage, “which is probably a $6,500 bill.”

Marchiony also said minor repairs needed to be made to the field, and a few advertising signs were stolen or destroyed.

KU purchased collapsible goalposts after the last two were torn down in similar fashion following last year’s 35-14 KU victory over Missouri. The new posts are designed to be taken down in a matter of seconds.

It still was too long. Fans swarmed out of the stands in the last minute of Saturday’s game, and some came onto the field prematurely. One fan even picked up an end-zone pylon and threw it on the field, a less-than-intelligent act that could have resulted in a KU penalty.

KU students Jesse Plous, left, Lindsey Gold, center, and Josh Bailey cheer before the start of the Jayhawks' game against Kansas State. A near-sellout crowd watched the Jayhawks beat the Wildcats, 31-28.

“It was a little bit scary,” Marchiony said. “You’re thinking two thoughts with what was going on. One, you don’t want to cause a penalty to risk the result of the game. The other thing is that you’re scared to death that some people are going to get hurt.”

KU officials preparing to collapse the goalpost in the south end zone instead had to run for cover after the last play. The post at the north end zone was taken down, but it still was damaged beyond repair after the students got their paws on it.

But, considering the horrific possibilities that could come from a near-riot like Saturday’s, KU officials rested a little easier Saturday night.

Marchiony said he hadn’t heard of any serious injuries resulting from the postgame celebration, and the student section’s decision not to complete the unearthing of the 25-second playclock behind the south end zone saved both injury and a pricey trip to the playclock store.

While the goalposts were being walked out of Memorial, the 25-second playclock was seen heavily swaying from side to side among the sea of KU fans. It prompted Memorial Stadium public-address announcer Hank Booth to remind the crowd that there indeed was electricity flowing through it, and ripping it out of the ground might be unsafe.

The students listened.

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“We’re breathing a sigh of relief for that,” Marchiony said.

The Jayhawks don’t play at home again until Nov. 6 against Colorado, but Free State High — which plays all its home games at Memorial Stadium this year — has a home contest Friday against Topeka High.

• Swanson or Barmann?: If you want a definitive answer regarding the KU quarterback situation, don’t hold your breath.

With KU idle this week, KU coach Mark Mangino is in no hurry to decide how to use Adam Barmann and Jason Swanson. Barmann started against Kansas State, but Swanson relieved him in the fourth quarter and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass with 5:28 to play.

“I want to see how both quarterbacks react to Saturday out on the practice field this week,” Mangino said Monday on the Big 12 coaches teleconference. “I’m not going to rush into anything. I want to be able to look a the situation very clearly.

“We do believe we have two Big 12-caliber quarterback that can play at any time for us. Maybe one guy’s a starter and one’s a relief man. I don’t know. We’ll look at it.”

Kansas University football fans tear down a goalpost after KU's 31-28 victory Saturday over Kansas State at Memorial Stadium.