Michigan and Ohio State are facing financial ramifications for the fight that took place after the Wolverines’ win over the Buckeyes on Saturday.
The Big Ten announced Sunday that it had fined each school $100,000 for the melee. It began after Michigan players attempted to plant a flag at the midfield logo of Ohio Stadium. Buckeyes’ players took offense to the attempt and, well, things escalated from there.
The fight appeared over after round one, but it reignited after Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the Michigan flag. That started a sequel and it took more time for players to be separated.
Police attempting to break up the fight used pepper spray on at least one occasion. The Ohio State University Police Department confirmed that pepper spray was used in a statement on Saturday and said that it was reviewing what happened on the field.
“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 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 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.”
Michigan’s attempt to plant the flag started a trend that continued across college football’s rivalry weekend. Fracases ensued in Chapel Hill and Tallahassee as well as visiting teams attempted to celebrate their wins at midfield. NC State got bowl-eligible with a 35-30 win at North Carolina in Mack Brown’s last game with the Tar Heels. Florida sent Florida State to a 2-10 finish with an easy road win and FSU took exception to Florida’s celebrating.
The victory was Michigan’s fourth straight over Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven’t beaten the Wolverines since 2019, though they should still be safely in the College Football Playoff at 10-2. Michigan ends the 2024 regular season at 7-5.
