The Ferris State Bulldogs won the NCAA Division II Football Championship in the 2022 season but came under fire for their actions while celebrating immediately after the win. Head coach Tony Annese has been handed a one-game playoff suspension due to his role in playing lighting and smoking cigars in a locker room celebration. The school’s appeal against the decision was denied.
Ferris State also was hit with a similar violation following the 2021 season in which they also won the title. The school received a fine and the players were given a warning by the NCAA. Now, following the second offense, Annese spoke to the media in a quote shared by Fox News:
“We are committed to running a program representing the ideals and values of Ferris State University, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the NCAA. I understand the concerns raised by the NCAA. Immediately after the game, while I was in the postgame press conference, the two issues cited by the NCAA were addressed by my coaching staff.
“As a coaching staff, each day leading up to the national championship game, we had reminded our players that smoking cigars in celebration would not be allowed. My team was fully aware that the actions of the two players were inappropriate.
“No matter how minor the actions may seem, young people need to understand that there are consequences for their actions. We will address these concerns and continue to have a strong, positive football program that represents Ferris State University on and off the field.”
Ferris State athletic director Steve Brockelbank also released a statement to show his support for the football program and for coach Annese who will be entering his 13th year at the helm of the team. He said:
“I continue to be proud of the Ferris State University football program and Coach Annese. I understand the concerns raised by the NCAA, and we accept the responsibility for our actions and we will work to ensure this does not happen again in the future. I support the efforts that Coach Annese continues to make to improve the football program for the betterment of the students we serve.”
Fox News was quick to point out some hypocrisy on the part of the NCAA, who allowed LSU’s championship team to smoke cigars following their victory with no repercussion. It does, however, appear that the folks at Ferris State take little issue with the enforcement of the rule and simply want to move forward from the incident. One difference in the two incidents seems to lie in the location where the games took place. According to the Detroit Free Press, Ferris State played in a stadium owned that has a strict no-drugs policy. That policy includes tobacco. The Detroit Free Press added:
“On top of the suspension that Annese will serve the next time Ferris State makes the postseason, the university and program will also have to pay $15,383 in restitution to McKinney Independent School District for cleaning and repair expenses, pay a fine worth $2,500, and also suffer public reprimand.”
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