The football match between Chowan University and Delta State caught the attention of the fans followed by a brawl. Delta State was leading the game at the time of the fight with a 42-18 score. However, the Gulf South Conference as the organizer has taken the matter into their own hands. But they refused to take any stern measures against the Delta State.

Contrastingly, Chowan has been put under penalization by suspending six players within the team. The chaotic incident on the sports ground left the spectators confused about the happenings. They became intrigued by the conversations and actions occurring on the sideline. Both the teams engaged in a verbal fight followed by a physical fight as can be seen in the viral video.    

Background check of the scuffle

As can be figured out from the grainy video, Tamaj Hoffman is the player in question. The Delta State player, Hoffman broke through the 19-yard and ran down to the Chowan 20. Followed by handing off the ball by Delta, the player was shoved out of bounds and touched Chowan’s sidelines. Immediately, the defensive lineman, Nikotis Gordon, came up with an aggressive strike and repeatedly struck the Delta player with his helmet. On the other side, the remaining Chowan players teamed up to charge Delta State’s Adam Duncan. They pinned Duncan against a wall and continued to punch him mercilessly. Such a disgraceful act from a football team associated with GSC has given rise to indignity among the sports fans.

Chowan Athletics Department issued a public apology acknowledging the accountability for this disdainful incident. The director, Patrick Mashuda asserted,  “Speaking on behalf of the entire Chowan University Department of Athletics, we would like to formally apologize to the Delta State University football players, their coaching staff, fans, and parents for the deplorable behavior that some of our football student-athletes chose to exhibit on Saturday in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.” 

Read More: Football World Mourns the Loss of Rams Legend and 6-Time Pro Bowler, Who Passed Away at 86

Fans acted as catalysts stimulating the fight

During the fight between the players, an outsider participated to further provoke the battle. The captured video shows a fan landing a punch within the crowd. Eventually, the video continues to exhibit another onlooker pouncing on the player.   

Although the video quality has been hampered due to rain, the involvement of outsiders is clearly visible. The fans in support of their home team refused to stay out of the incident. As a result of this, the management of the situation became even more strenuous. The feud resulted in the suspension of six Chowan players. However, based on the video, it has been an impossible task to point out the intruders not belonging directly to either of the teams. Among the six players facing suspension, one of them has been subjected to a season-long suspension from entering the stadium. In addition to this, they have brought a non-team member under scrutiny banning him from entering the stadium for the whole season.

On this note, Mashuda said, “After a thorough investigation by the Gulf South Conference and members of Chowan University administration, swift and decisive action was taken to ensure all parties involved in the incident were held accountable.” 

The blame game has continued even after thorough investigation and seeking apologies. The reputation of the Gulf South Conference suffered serious blows owing to this unpleasant incident. Similarly, this match has set up an exception in the history of football by not adhering to the sportsman spirit.

Watch Story: Remembering the Lives of Atheletes: 5 Heartbreaking On-Field Tragedies