College football’s rivalry week was marred by a series of on-field fights between teams following “flag-planting” celebrations, the latest examples of stadium security concerns that are constantly simmering across college football.
At Ohio State, police used pepper spray on students in an effort to defuse a brawl that started after Michigan players planted a maize and blue M flag at midfield following their upset of the Buckeyes. Flag-planting brawls broke out in similar fashion after NC State beat UNC on the road, and following Florida’s road win over Florida State. A fourth, similar incident occurred after Arizona State blew out Arizona, but with a Sun Devil trident instead of a flag.
None was bigger than the Ohio State-Michigan brawl, which left players and coaches bloodied, and at least one officer injured. OSU Police, which is the lead agency for games, said in a statement that multiple agencies assisted in breaking up the altercation and that officers representing both Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. “[We] will continue to investigate,” the statement said.
The Big Ten announced Sunday evening that it was fining both schools $100,000 each for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy. “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 conference said, before adding that it considered the matter concluded.
Around the country, coaches and athletes had strong reactions.
Michigan running back Kalel Mullings called the Buckeyes “classless” for their reaction, while his head coach Sherrone Moore said his program should “handle it better.” Florida coach Billy Napier called the incident “embarrassing,” and “not who we want to be as a program.” UNC coach Mack Brown called the flag planting “disrespectful,” the same word used by Arizona running back Quali Conley.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was less contrite. “I’ll find out exactly what happened, but it’s our field,” he said. “Certainly, we’re embarrassed with the fact we lost the game, but there are some prideful guys that weren’t just going to let that happen.”
The final word, however, may come from law enforcement, the NCAA, or the conferences themselves. Representatives for the Big 12, SEC and ACC didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Stadium security concerns have become a recurring issue in college football and college basketball in recent years. Sometimes that involves the safety of the players themselves–in 2022, a fight between football players from Michigan and Michigan State in a stadium tunnel resulted inr criminal charges for seven Spartans players, felony assault for another, and a $100,000 fine from the Big Ten. Michigan was also reprimanded for failing to “provide adequate protection for personnel of both home and visiting teams.” The two teams fought again this year.
Other times, it involves fans. Students rushing the football field or basketball court following wins have become a common occurrence for big games, and conferences are starting to crack down. The SEC’s new rules, put in place last year, include $100,000 for a school’s first offense, $250,000 for a second and $500,000 for all future violations. That said, coaches and athletic department executives don’t always take them seriously.
In 2022, the Big 12 hired Oak View Group to review its stadium safety policies, and earlier this year it fined UCF $25,000 for a basketball storming. Kansas State is among the Big 12 schools that have tried to come up with creative ways to satisfy fan desire while also ensuring safety.
It’s hard to see what will change unless more drastic measures are taken. “You hate to see stuff like that after the game,” Mullings, the Michigan running back, said. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football.”
(This story has been updated in the fourth paragraph with the Big Ten announcing its fines for the brawl after the Michigan-Ohio State game.)
