Illini, Spartans fined for scuffle

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by Steve Batterson | Thursday, October 5, 2006 12:00 AM CDT | () comments

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Michigan State coach John L. Smith, left, and Illinois coach Ron Zook, right, try to separate players from a postgame scuffle after the Fighting Illini’s win last weekend. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany fined both programs $10,000.

The midfield scuffle that followed Saturday’s Illinois-Michigan State football team has led the Big Ten to reprimand coaches of both teams and fine both institutions.

Commissioner Jim Delany announced Wednesday that Illinois and Michigan State were each fined $10,000, and letters of reprimand were sent to Fighting Illini coach Ron Zook and Michigan State coach John L. Smith for failing to ensure that their teams conducted themselves in an acceptable manner.

“The conduct of the players last week in the postgame environment violated our rules and expectations for student-athletes, and as a result, we have taken the aforementioned actions,’’ Delany said in a three-paragraph statement.

In the minutes after Illinois ended a 10-game conference losing streak with a 23-20 win at Spartan Stadium, Illini players celebrated by planting an orange-and-blue flag in the middle of the turf.

That prompted a scuffle, a lot of shoving and plenty of words exchanged between players on FINES

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both teams.

Zook repeated a postgame apology for the incident Tuesday during his weekly news conference.

“As I told our football team, we are going to win and lose with class, regardless of what’s happened in the past,’’ Zook said. “That’s not something that we are going to allow to happen.

“I will say this, and I’m not trying to make any excuses, it was a spontaneous emotional outbreak. It really was. It wasn’t anything planned or anything like that. But regardless of what’s happened in the past, that’s not something this university is going to be noted for, and I don’t think there will be any problems with that.’’

Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.