The heated rivalry between the Michigan and Ohio State football teams reached a new intensity last fall following the Wolverines' 13-10 win over the Buckeyes. In celebration of the victory, several Michigan players took the team's flag to midfield and planted it on Ohio State's logo.
The Buckeyes players were not pleased, and the two teams got into a brawl on the field as a result. After multiple players got into it with each other, both teams had to eventually be ushered back to their locker rooms and the two programs were each fined $100,000.
In looking to prevent future brawls and conflict, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore drew a clear line in the sand on Thursday at Big Ten Media Day.
"There will be no more flag planting," Moore said. "There will be no more grabbing the flag. We talked about our new tradition, what we do when we win a game—go meet the band, go sing our victors, and stay over there until the other team departs, and that's how we'll operate. Shake hands after the game, show sportsmanship, be cordial. ... Go be together as a team and then leave as a team."
“There will be no flag planting.”
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) July 24, 2025
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore has directed players on a new way to celebrate after last season’s crazy postgame scrum between Ohio State and the Wolverines. pic.twitter.com/3rREmjdsHo
The new rules will truly be tested when Michigan next takes on Ohio State. The Wolverines host "The Game" this year on Nov. 29, once again to close out the regular season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Michigan Coach Says There Will Be No More Flag Planting in Ohio State Rivalry.
