Michigan and Ohio State were reportedly fined $100,000 apiece by the Big Ten Conference on Sunday, resulting from the teams’ postgame brawl in Columbus, Ohio, the day before.
The conference doesn’t plan to suspend players, nor do the schools, according to a report from ESPN.
The melee ensued when Michigan players were preparing to plant their school flag at midfield after taking down heavily favored No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 with a last-minute field goal on Saturday. Buckeyes players raced from the south end zone, where they were singing their alma mater in front of the student section.
The Big Ten said in a statement that it “considers this matter concluded,” according to the report. The conference stated that the brawl not only violated “fundamental elements of sportsmanship,” but it “also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders.”
A statement from Ohio State called the fight, which lasted about five minutes, “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 safely exit the field,” the school’s statement said.
The Buckeyes (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) won’t play in the Big Ten championship game and fell out of contention for a bye that is awarded to the four highest-ranked conference champions in the 12-team playoff.
Despite likely dropping in the next College Football Playoff rankings, Ohio State should still receive an at-large bid in the final bracket reveal on Dec. 8.
The Wolverines (7-5, 5-4), who beat Ohio State for the fourth straight time, await a bowl game bid.
–Field Level media
