Throughout the 2024 college football season, there has been a large amount of controversy due to flag sticking, removal of goal posts and storming off the football field. Although this is not new to football, it was definitely more present this season.
There are many school rivalries throughout the SEC, BIG 10, ACC, Sun Belt, BIG 12. Throughout college football rivalry weekend, there is definitely no love that is lost. There are many brawls that have broken out during this year’s weekend full of rivalry games.
A major flag planting event occurred after Ohio State lost to The University of Michigan 13-10. After the game was over, Michigan players carried the blue and maize flag with the big “M” to the center of the “O” on the field. While players attempted to plant the flag in the center of the field Ohio State players began to intervene.
When Ohio players intervened they ripped the Michigan flag off of the pole and fights began to break out. There has been insight from Baker Mayfeild who is a former University of Oklahoma football player who had previously stuck the flag during a game back in 2017 against Ohio State.
In an article by CNN, Mayfeild shared, “College football is meant to have rivalries. It’s not anything special. You take your loss and you move on. I’ll leave it at that.”
Although not every single player on the field fought after the incident. Both teams were fined $100,000 apiece by the BIG 10 due to the unsportsmanlike conduct. However, the few Michigan and Ohio players who can be found praying together throughout all the chaos,
CF senior Jayden Peake shared, “Personally I do not see a problem with acts like flag sticking. This has occurred throughout rivalry games for a long time and is just harmless fun for the winning team.”
Back in November, a similar upset occurred when Ole Miss beat number two ranked Georgia at home 28-10. Ole Miss rebels fans started to storm the field with 16 seconds of time left in the game. These rebel fans violated the SEC’s “access to competition area” policy.
These fans were held back briefly in the endzone before resuming the field storming when the game finished. Ole Miss was fined $100,000 due to fans entering the field prior to the end of the Georgia game as a first offense and then $250,000 for a second offense for the field storm after the game. Although fans also removed the goal posts, they were not fined for that.
The SEC policy revisions in spring 2023 states “institutions shall limit access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times. For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest may spectators enter the competition area.” These policies have been set into place to protect everyone due to how players, coaches, and spectators can be injured during these events.
Top name schools are not the only schools that are involved in these controversies. Lehigh University located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has also taken part in similar controversy this season. Lehigh defeated their rivals Lafayette College 38-14 and fans proceeded to take down the goal post after the game.
This is not all that these fans did. Lehigh students and fans paraded through the streets of South Bethlem carrying the goal post four miles from the stadium and threw the goal post off of a bridge into the Lehigh River.
Although there was no fining involved in this situation, police watched this situation occur making sure that there was no damage to property or individuals.
“All controversies like these are debatable. I believe field storming and goal posts are a fan tradition to celebrate a huge victory, but the goal posts could be protected somehow. I do think flag sticking is disrespectful and obnoxious but for those trying to make it a felony (Ohio) is way too much . I am not against fines for these incidents only if it affects the game, for example storming the field before the game has ended,” added CF football coach Kevin Campbell.
With all the controversies this season it will be interesting to see what occurs in the ‘25 college football season.
