COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Big Ten fined Ohio State and Michigan $100,000 each on Sunday over a fight that broke out after the Wolverines' 13-10 upset of the Buckeyes.
The fines were one of many developments from the day after the game, including a report from Ohio State that at least one person not affiliated with the university was arrested and charged.
The Big Ten said both teams 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 conference wrote.
In response, Ohio State said in a statement that it respects the Big Ten's decision and called Saturday's postgame event "unfortunate."
The punishment stopped short of suspending players involved in the melee, a move that should benefit Ohio State's postseason chances. The seventh-ranked Buckeyes remain in the running for a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, even though the loss kept them from reaching the Big Ten championship game. Instead, they will likely next play on Dec. 20 or 21 in a first-round game, perhaps back at Ohio Stadium.
Michigan (7-5) is expected to go to a nonplayoff bowl game.
An Ohio State spokesman did not name the person who was charged but said that it was for criminal trespassing from leaving the stands and going onto the field. Further details on their identity were not available.
An Ohio State police officer who was knocked down and trampled while trying to separate the players was released from a hospital on Sunday morning, an official with the local police union reported. That remains the only reported injury.
And the Franklin County Sheriff's Office reported that it is reviewing how one of its deputies deployed pepper spray in response to an online video. It showed the spray going into the air, according to a statement.
"It is important to note that such tools are often used in crowd control situations to help safely disperse individuals and maintain order," the sheriff's office wrote.
The confrontation happened as Michigan players planted their team flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium after their fourth straight win in the series; players from both teams and others were involved.
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. 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.
We respect the Big Ten Conference’s decision in this matter. 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.
