Flag planting at Ohio Stadium could soon become a felony in Ohio. One state representative, Josh Williams, introduced House Bill 700: O.H.I.O Sportsmanship Act after observing the brawl that broke out at the end of the Michigan vs Ohio State game.
Rivalry weekend in college football saw several incidents of flag planting and fights, from Michigan and Ohio State, Arizona and Arizona State to UNC and North Carolina State. In the case of the Wolverines and Buckeyes, law enforcement got involved to break up the brawl, even deploying pepper spray.
Related: College Football Rivalry Week Ends with Flags, Fights and Fines
Each Big Ten school was fined $100,000 after the incident, but Williams wants to take the punishment for future student-athletes even further. If his bill passes, any student-athlete who plants a flag at the center of Ohio Stadium could face felony charges.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, “House Bill 700 would ‘prohibit planting a flagpole and flag in the center of the Ohio Stadium football field on the day of a college football game and to name this act the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act.’”
Said Williams, “I am proud to introduce the O.H.I.O Sportsmanship Act to make flag planting at midfield a felony in the state of Ohio. Behavior that incites violent brawls and puts our law enforcement officers in danger has no place on the football field.”
The bill would specifically list flag planting as a fifth-degree felony charge. In Ohio, this designation carries a six to 12-month prison sentence, up to $2,500 in fines and up to five years of probation.
“After it happened at five separate games during Rivalry Week, and seeing that there was no immediate movement, I thought it was necessary to send a signal to our institutions of higher learning that they need to come up with policies to prevent this in the future so it doesn't risk harm to our law enforcement officers or student-athletes or fans," said Williams.
Ohio’s General Assembly ends next week, meaning any bill not passed by the end of the year is required to be re-introduced the following calendar year. Most likely, Bill 700 will make a second appearance in 2025.
