Mark Harlan, the athletic director for the University of Utah, has found himself on the wrong side of a hefty fine. The Big 12 Conference has reached into its disciplinary pocketbook, issuing a $40,000 fine alongside a public reprimand for Harlan’s recent comments denouncing the officiating following Utah’s loss to BYU. As reported by
ABC4
, the remarks came after a game that Harlan felt was “absolutely stolen” from Utah, expressing dissatisfaction with the “professionalism” of the officiating crew.
The decision to fine Harlan is not taken lightly, signaling a departure from previous disciplinary actions. In contrast to the past decade’s athletic director fines, which have not exceeded $25,000, Harlan’s penalty sets a new high-water mark. The Big 12’s stern response comes with a caveat, another violation could lead to even more severe consequences. As detailed by
Deseret News
, elaborated on the ramifications of Harlan repeating such behavior in the future.
The controversial game itself, which saw BYU rallying from an 11-point deficit at halftime, involved a final field goal that clinched their victory. BYU coach Kalani Sitake, after the game, acknowledged the complexities of the calls made during the match, “That’s the game of football. You can’t hold people.” Further to this, Utah’s coach Kyle Whittingham expressed frustration over the decisions made on the field, although in a more pithy way. According to
FOX 13
, Whittingham shared Harlan’s ire, describing the officiating as “ridiculous.”
The penalty count at the end of the day stood at 10 each for Utah and BYU, though involved Utah facing 90 penalty yards compared to BYU’s 67. The disparity in penalty yards, despite the equal number of penalties, fueled the frustrations that spiraled into the off-field drama. Sitake, trying to keep things in perspective even though he was not watching the whole field during the infraction, as per
FOX 13
, said he would “take a look at it and I’m sure I’ll find some other holdings over there that weren’t called.” These penalty stats and the reactions they prompted give a glimpse into the tense environment post-game that likely contributed to Harlan’s outburst and the resulting financial pinch by the Big 12.
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