The Big Ten Conference announced it has fined Michigan and Ohio State each $100,000 for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy for the on-court melee at the end of the Wolverines’ victory in Columbus on Saturday.
“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,” the Big Ten said in a statement Sunday.
A fight broke out at midfield after the Wolverines’ 13-10 victory when Michigan players attempted to plant their flag on the OSU logo and were confronted by the Buckeyes.
Police used pepper spray to break up the players, who were punching and shoving. One officer suffered a head injury when he was “knocked down and trampled while trying to separate players,” a police union official said. The officer was taken to a hospital and has since been released.
After Ohio State’s players confronted their rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines’ flag and ripped it from the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench.
“We respect the Big Ten Conference’s decision in this matter,” Ohio State said in a statement. “What happened after the match yesterday was unfortunate. Good sportsmanship is always important in everything we do at Ohio State. Moving forward, we will continue to examine and address our post-game protocols to ensure our student-athletes, coaches, visiting teams and staff leave the field safely.
Ohio State Police said in a statement that “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” Michigan players were seen rubbing their eyes after exposure to the chemical irritant.
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said after the game that both teams could have handled the situation differently.
“So many emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It is the largest in the country, so we have to deal with it better.”
A spokesperson for the Michigan athletic department said Sunday evening that the football program would have no comment beyond the team’s comments on Saturday.
The scuffle was one of several that broke out in rivalry games across the country on Saturday.