An ugly scene transpired following Saturday night’s 68 Ventures Bowl between Eastern Michigan and South Alabama in which an EMU player punched an unsuspecting South Alabama player from behind following the 59-10 loss, resulting in an ugly fight. And Eastern Michigan athletic director Scott Wetherbee is not happy about it.
On Sunday, Wetherbee issued a strong statement on the ugly scene, apologizing for the incident and condemning the actions of the players involved.
“We strongly condemn the actions of some of the student-athletes on the EMU football team in the ugly incident that took place following last night’s 68 Ventures Bowl. We are deeply upset and embarrassed by what happened. Their conduct does not reflect the great pride and high standards we place on the game and our program, and the expectations for good sportsmanship and exemplary conduct of student-athletes on and off the field. What happened was completely unacceptable. We apologize to the Eastern Michigan University community and to the South Alabama team and their fans,” Wetherbee said in a statement shared by the school.
The incident happened well after the game when an Eastern Michigan player ran up behind a South Alabama player during the postgame celebration and appeared to strike him in the back of the neck, igniting a chaotic scene as both teams began fighting.
An Eastern Michigan player attacked a South Alabama player from behind well after the 68 Ventures Bowl.
That triggered a brawl. pic.twitter.com/DxwCoQ1RgG
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) December 24, 2023
Wetherbee promised that the school is committed to investigating the incident and levying proper punishment.
“We are committed to sharing information and video to fully understand all that occurred. As Coach Creighton stated in the postgame press conference, there is absolutely no place for this kind of incident in the Eastern Michigan University football program. University President James Smith and I have been in contact with Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher and we are committed to working jointly to investigate the incident in accordance with institutional and Conference policies. We are continuing to review the situation and the conduct of the student-athletes involved and will take appropriate action as more information is gathered,” Wetherbee said.
We’ll have to see what ultimately comes of the ugly incident.
[On3]
