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Police used pepper spray to break up a brawl between rival football players from the University of Michigan and Ohio State University after the Wolverines upset the No. 2 Buckeyes with a winning field goal in the final minute of Saturday’s game in Columbus, CNN reported.
Following the Wolverines’ 13-10 victory at Ohio Stadium, a player tried to plant a Michigan banner on the Buckeyes’ midfield logo, which prompted pushing, shoving and punching by members of both teams. Stadium security and police worked for several minutes to gain control of the situation, eventually deploying pepper spray.
Players on the television broadcast could be seen wiping their eyes and coughing, according to media reports.
Fighting also broke out between longtime rivals at other college football games over Thanksgiving weekend—traditionally known as “rivalry weekend”—in some cases similarly triggered by the visiting team attempting to plant a flag on the field of their archenemy.
CNN reported skirmishes over the weekend between players from the University of Florida and Florida State University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, and Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, though it doesn’t appear any required the kind of police intervention seen at Ohio State.
On Sunday, the Big Ten Conference issued a $100,000 fine to both Ohio State University and the University of Michigan for violating its 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 said in a statement.
