Big Ten fines Michigan and Ohio State $100,000 each for postgame brawl

(CBS DETROIT) — The University of Michigan and The Ohio State University will each pay a $100,000 fine for the brawl following Saturday's game between the two schools in Columbus.

The Big Ten Conference announced the fines Sunday.

In a statement, the Big Ten said the actions of both teams violated the conference's sportsmanship policy. 

"Not only did the actions of both teams violate fundamental elements of sportsmanship such as respect and civility, the nature of the incident also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders," the statement said. 

The incident appeared to have started when Michigan players attempted to plant a team flag at midfield in Ohio Stadium, and were confronted by several players from the Buckeyes. 

The situation intensified when Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the flag off the pole. Several skirmishes broke out, with players from both teams throwing punches and shoving each other. 

A spokesperson for Ohio State confirmed to CBS News in an email that law enforcement officers deployed pepper spray during the fight. 

"We respect the Big Ten Conference's decision in this matter," Ohio State said in a statement Sunday. "What happened post-game yesterday was unfortunate. Good sportsmanship is always important in everything we do at Ohio State. Moving forward, we will continue to examine and address our post-game protocols to ensure our student-athletes, coaches, visiting teams and staff safely exit the field."  

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said both teams could have handled the situation differently.  

Michigan pulled off a shocking 13-10 upset over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, ending the Buckeyes' hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game. 

The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for this rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info.