Michigan and Ohio State are facing financial consequences for the fight that took place Saturday after the Wolverines’ victory over the Buckeyes.
The Big Ten announced Sunday that it had fined each school $100,000 for the fight. It started after Michigan players tried to plant a flag on the center field logo of Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes players took offense to the attempt and the situation escalated from there.
The fight appeared to be over after the first round, but flared up again after Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer took the Michigan flag. That started a sequel and took longer for players to be separated.
Police trying to break up the argument used pepper spray at least once. Ohio State University police confirmed in a statement Saturday that pepper spray had been used and said they were investigating what happened on the field.
“The Big Ten Conference has determined that the actions of both teams following the Michigan-Ohio football game on Saturday, November 30, 2024 violated the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy,” the conference said in a statement. “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 imposed an institutional fine on both the University of Michigan and Ohio State University of $100,000 each.
“The Big Ten Conference considers this matter closed and will have no further comment.”
Michigan’s attempt to plant the flag started a trend that continued throughout college football rivalry weekend. Arguments broke out in Chapel Hill and Tallahassee, and visiting teams tried to celebrate their victories at midfield. NC State became bowl eligible with a 35-30 win at North Carolina in Mack Brown’s final game with the Tar Heels. Florida sent Florida State to a 2-10 finish with an easy road victory and FSU took exception to Florida’s celebration.
The win was Michigan’s fourth consecutive victory over Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven’t beaten the Wolverines since 2019, although at 10-2 they should still be safe in the College Football Playoff. Michigan finishes the 2024 regular season at 7-5.
