A chaotic brawl between two college football teams has led to wide-ranging suspensions for nearly a dozen players and staff members.
The incident occurred following Saturday’s game between home team Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and Central State University (CSU) at Wildcat Stadium in Georgia, which the visitors won 18-14.
While it’s unclear what exactly started the brawl, a video clip posted on social showed a CSU charge a Wildcat before getting slammed to the turf — drawing a huge reaction from fellow players and the crowd.
Things escalate from there, as seen in the clip — which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times since being posted on the weekend. Many players are seen shoving, tackling and throwing punches at each other while a few coaches and officials attempt to restore order.
The stadium announcer can be heard telling coaches to separate the brawling players and for everyone to return to their locker rooms.
Nearly a minute after the brawl kicked off and as things appear to be settling down, a Marauders player throws a haymaker into a group of Wildcats, sparking further hostilities on the track surrounding the football field.
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference didn’t take the wild scene lightly, handing down 22 total suspensions for the incident. In all, nine FVSU players, 11 CSU players and the head coaches from both schools were handed one-game bans.
“Acts of unsportsmanlike conduct have no place in intercollegiate athletics or within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference,” SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman said in a press release. “I am extremely disappointed that this event has overshadowed what was otherwise a very competitive football game.”
Both programs also were fined an undisclosed amount.
FVSU apologized to CSU and its community, writing in a Facebook post that the actions do not “reflect the values of sportsmanship, integrity, and respect that we uphold as an institution, athletic program, and conference.”
“We do not condone behavior that falls short of these standards, and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that our student-athletes understand the importance of representing the University with Wildcat pride and professionalism on and off the field,” the university wrote.