The University of Michigan was fined by the Big Ten for comments by football coach Jim Harbaugh after Saturday’s game against Ohio State University.
The school was fined $10,000 after Harbaugh criticized the officiating during Saturday's double-overtime loss to the Buckeyes.
The Big Ten Network tweeted a picture of the conference's statement regarding Harbaugh's comments.
The Big Ten determined that Harbaugh’s postgame comments regarding officials were in violation of Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01, which states in part that “The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.” Coaches are teachers as well, and there is an expectation that they set the example for students and others in the area of sportsmanship.
“I'm bitterly disappointed in the officiating. Can't make that any more clear,” Harbaugh said.
The second-to-last play of the game was a controversial fourth down conversion by the Buckeyes.
Harbaugh also said the officials made some poor calls against the Wolverines while missing some calls against the Buckeyes.
“The graphic display is the interference penalties. The one not called on us on Grant Perry, [he] was clearly being hooked before the ball got there,” Harbaugh said.
For more of his post-game interview, here is video from ESPN:
Harbaugh isn't the first Big Ten coach to be fined for post-game comments.
The University of Nebraska was fined $10,000 after former Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini made similar remarks about officiating in 2013.
*Correction - a previous version of this story said the coaches were fined $10,000. The universities were fined, not the coaches. The story has been corrected above.
