20 players and 2 coaches suspended for brawl after Fort Valley State homecoming football game
More than a dozen players and two head coaches have been suspended after a fight broke out at Fort Valley State's homecoming football game against Central State University.
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced that 20 student-athletes, nine from FVSU and 11 from CSU, will also receive fines for the postgame brawl.
Video shared on social media showed players pushing each other to the ground before players from both teams started throwing punches and shoving each other. Things appeared to calm down for a second before the fighting began again.
"Acts of unsportsmanlike conduct have no place in intercollegiate athletics or within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference," said SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman, Ed.D. "I am extremely disappointed that this event has overshadowed what was otherwise a very competitive football game."
The conference has not shared details about which players have been suspended or the severity of the fines.
FVSU head coach Marlon Watson and CSU head coach Tony Carter each received a one-game suspension. The conference has also fined each university an undisclosed amount.
In a statement, Fort Valley State University officials apologized to its community and CSU, saying the actions after their team's loss "do not reflect the values of sportsmanship, integrity and respect that we uphold as an institution, athletic program and conference."
"We do not condone behavior that falls short of these standards, and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that our student-athletes understand the importance of representing the University with Wildcat pride and professionalism on and off the field," the statement read in part.