Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday sent shockwaves throughout the college football community. Even more shocking was the now-viral video after the game, in which Michigan attempted to plant its coveted “M” flag at midfield, where the Buckeyes logo proudly sits.
Ohio State didn’t take gesture, which Michigan running back Kalel Mullings described as “classless,” all too well. An all-out brawl ensued, and the Big Ten Conference took a harsh yet pertinent stance on the matter Sunday evening.
In a statement, the conference advised a hefty fine for both schools, strongly condemning the actions.
“The Big Ten Conference has determined that the actions of both teams following the Michigan-Ohio State football game on Saturday, November 30, 2024, violated the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy,” the statement read. “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.
As a result of these violations, the Big Ten Conference has issued an institutional fine to both the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University in the amount of $100,000 each.
The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.”
Ohio State quickly responded to the conference’s decision, while Michigan has yet to comment.
“We respect the Big Ten Conference’s decision in this matter,” the institution said. “What happened post-game 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 safely exit the field.”
The loss eliminated Ohio State from Big Ten title contention, as it was a win-and-in scenario. Meanwhile, Michigan finished the regular season 7-5 and will await which team it will play in its bowl game later this month.
It was a wild Week 14 of college football, with the Buckeyes and Wolverines at the center of it for non-football-related reasons.