Three dozen people suspended following post-game fight between Howard, North Carolina Central

Tensions were quite high following Saturday’s game between North Carolina Central and Howard University, with a fight breaking out on the field. The two teams were going after it for over two minutes before eventually being separated.

On Monday, a significant amount of suspensions have been handed out by the MEAC. Three dozen people are involved on both sides. Nineteen North Carolina Central players, 17 Howard players, and one North Carolina Central coach are being punished for the incident.

“The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has a zero-tolerance policy for fighting, as it directly violates the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that define our Conference,” MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills said in a statement.

“We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all student-athletes, coaches, and fans. Any actions that compromise these principles will result in serious consequences. We expect all participants in MEAC athletic events to conduct themselves with dignity and uphold the high standards that reflect the spirit of the MEAC.”

On Monday, North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver discussed the alternation, talking about the missed opportunity after playing on national television.

“There’s no room for that,” Oliver said. “There’s no reason to be fighting or anything like that. You have 60 minutes…go ahead and play hard for 60 minutes. Compete, shake hands, and let’s let’s go ahead and be done with it. But we have our opportunity play on national television and be able to display our brand, two great universities. And I think a great conference. And I think that we let our university down, conference down and all of HBCU. We have an opportunity to play on national television. But I’m apologetic for whatever actions our guys had with the altercation.”

North Carolina Central were winners on the day, 26-3. Their record improved to 7-3 on the year and 3-1 against MEAC competition. Howard is 4-7 and 1-3 in conference play, being just the latest loss under head coach Larry Scott. Both teams have just one game remaining in the regular season.