The melee between Florida and Missouri escalated last Saturday night when Gators coach Dan Mullen charged onto the field.
It was a little troubling to see he was fined $25,000, the same amount Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin was fined for retweeting a criticism of SEC officiating.
One is snarky (Kiffin) and the other was throwing a match on a gas fire (Mullen).
Kiffin’s fine was made public by him. Mullen’s was made known in an SEC email.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issued the following statement:
“There is no place in college football for the kind of incident that took place at halftime of the Missouri at Florida game Saturday night. Everyone involved is responsible for meeting sportsmanship standards throughout each game. Running on the field to confront a game official, the gathering of teams in an on-field confrontation and student-athletes throwing punches are all disappointing at any time, but even more so as we work to support healthy competition during a pandemic.”
Mullen was issued a reprimand by the Southeastern Conference and fined $25,000 for violating SEC bylaws governing sportsmanship following Saturday’s football game between the University of Missouri and University of Florida.
Fines levied against schools and individuals in the Conference are directed into a fund supporting the SEC’s post-graduate scholarship program.
Immediately following the altercation on Saturday, Florida defensive lineman Zachary Carter and linebacker Antwuan Powell were ejected for the remainder of the game for fighting and Missouri outside linebacker Tre Williams was ejected for a flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct foul.
According to NCAA Football Playing Rule 9.5.1.b., ejections for fighting carry an automatic half-game suspension for the succeeding game which will result in Carter and Powell serving suspensions for the first half of Florida’s game against Georgia in Jacksonville on Saturday.
In addition, following video review of the incident, the SEC Office issued a half-game suspension for Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey, offensive lineman Dylan Spencer and defensive lineman Markell Utsey for fighting action during the altercation. Each will miss the first half of Missouri’s game vs. Georgia on Nov. 14, which follows a Missouri open date on Nov. 7.
Fighting is defined as follows by NCAA Playing Rules:
RULE 2, SECTION 32. Fighting
ARTICLE 1. Fighting is any attempt by a player, coach or squad member in uniform to strike an opponent in a combative manner unrelated to football.
Such acts include, but are not limited to:
An attempt to strike an opponent with the arm(s), hand(s), leg(s) or foot (feet), whether or not there is contact.
An unsportsmanlike act toward an opponent that causes any opponent to retaliate by fighting (Rules 9-2-1 and 9-5-1-a-c).