Big Ten fines Michigan and Ohio State $100,000 each for postgame brawl

(CBS DETROIT)The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan will each be fined $100,000 for the altercation that broke out after their games in Columbus on Saturday.

The penalties were made public by the Big Ten Conference on Sunday.

The Big Ten announced in a statement that both teams’ behavior was against the conference’s sportsmanship code.

“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,” stated the statement.

The incident seemed to have begun when a number of Buckeyes players assaulted Michigan players who were trying to plant a team flag at midfield in Ohio Stadium.

When Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer snatched the flag from the pole, the situation became more heated. Players from both teams started shoving and punching one other during a number of incidents.

In an email to CBS News, an Ohio State representative acknowledged that pepper spray was used by police during the altercation.

In a statement released on Sunday, Ohio State stated, “We respect the Big Ten Conference’s decision in this matter,” “What transpired yesterday after the game was regrettable. At Ohio State, we always place a high value on sportsmanship. We will keep reviewing and improving our post-game procedures going forward to make sure that our staff, coaches, visiting teams, and student-athletes all leave the field safely.”

Both teams could have handled the issue differently, according to Michigan coach Sherrone Moore.

The Buckeyes’ dreams of making it back to the Big Ten title game were dashed on Saturday as Michigan shocked No. 2 Ohio State with a 13-10 victory.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the largest margin of victory in this rivalry since 1978.

This report was contributed to by the Associated Press.

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