ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference has imposed a fine of $100,000 each on both Michigan and Ohio State due to violations of its sportsmanship policy, stemming from a physical altercation that erupted on the field following Michigan’s narrow 13-10 victory over Ohio State in Columbus last Saturday.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Big Ten emphasized that the actions exhibited by both teams contradicted essential principles of sportsmanship, including respect and civility. The conference also expressed concern that the incident could have endangered the well-being of both players and spectators present at the game.

The confrontation began when Michigan players attempted to place their school’s flag on the Ohio State logo at midfield, which led to a confrontation with Buckeye players. The situation escalated into a brawl, prompting law enforcement to intervene with pepper spray in an effort to disperse the fighting athletes. During the chaos, one officer suffered a head injury and required hospitalization but has since been released.

As tensions rose, Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen tearing down the flag that Michigan players had brought to the field, exacerbating the clash as it shifted toward the Michigan bench.

In response to the events, Ohio State released a statement expressing regard for the conference’s decision, describing the post-game incident as regrettable. They emphasized the importance of sportsmanship in their activities and reassured that measures to improve their post-game protocols would be evaluated to safeguard the welfare of their student-athletes, coaches, and staff.

Ohio State police reported that officers from both Ohio and Michigan had to resort to using pepper spray, leading to some Michigan players visibly affected by the chemical agent.

Michigan’s head coach, Sherrone Moore, acknowledged after the game that both teams need to learn from the incident and manage their emotions better during such intense rivalry games. He noted, “So much emotion on both sides. Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest rivalry in the country, so we need to handle that better.”

Attempts to gather further insights from the Michigan media relations department were made following the issuance of the fines.