NCAA
Michigan and Ohio State hit with punishment for postgame brawl that left players bloodied
A statement from the Big Ten said that the on-field fight had “jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders” at Ohio Stadium.
The fallout from the postgame brawl after the Michigan - Ohio State NCAA clash continues with big fines meted out to the two teams.
On Sunday evening the Big Ten fined both organisations $100,000 for their parts in the melee after the Wolverines stunned the Buckeyes with a 13-10 win at Ohio Stadium.
After a high-intensity edition of college football’s most heated rivalries, the spark was lit by a postgame show of disrespect from Michigan players. Several Wolverines players attempted to plant the team flag at midfield, angering the home team and crowd. What ensued was a five-minute mass brawl in which law enforcement used pepper spray to disperse players and players and coaches from both sides were left bloodied.
A statement from the Big Ten reads: “Not only did the actions of both teams violate fundamental elements of sportsmanship such as respect and civility, the nature of the incident also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders.”
However the league also added that it “considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.”
Will players be suspended after Michigan - Ohio State fight?
The repercussions for the two teams appears to have ended with the $100,000 fines. The league has not issued any indication that players will be suspended for involvement and the statement suggests that no further punishment is coming.
A statement from Ohio State University police revealed that “officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.”
The postgame violence leaves a sour taste from college football’s most abrasive rivalry. Nevertheless, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day sought to downplay the violence after the game.
“I don’t know all the details of it, but I know these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren’t going to let that happen,” Day said. “I’ll find out exactly what happened. But this is our field and certainly we’re embarrassed of the fact that we lost the game, but there’s some prideful guys in this team that weren’t going to just let that happen.”
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