(CBS-DETROIT) – The University of Michigan and Ohio State University will each pay a $100,000 fine for the brawl after Saturday’s game between the two schools in Columbus.
The Big Ten Conference announced the fines on Sunday.
In a statement, the Big Ten said both teams’ actions violated the conference’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 statement said.
The incident appeared to have started when Michigan players attempted to plant a team flag at midfield at Ohio Stadium and were confronted by several Buckeyes players.
The situation worsened when Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the flag from the pole. Several skirmishes broke out, with players from both teams punching and shoving each other.
An Ohio State spokesperson confirmed to CBS News in an email that law enforcement deployed pepper spray during the melee.
“We respect the Big Ten Conference’s decision in this matter,” Ohio State said in a statement Sunday. “What happened after the 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 that our student-athletes, coaches, visiting teams and staff leave the field safely.”
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said both teams could have handled the situation differently.
Michigan pulled off a shocking 13-10 upset over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, ending the Buckeyes’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the largest point spread for this rivalry since 1978.
contributed to this report.