What should have been a competitive game for Grambling State turned into a public relations nightmare. Their matchup against Bethune-Cookman turned into a violent halftime brawl on Saturday. The Southwestern Athletic Conference didn’t mess around when handing down discipline. 27 players were suspended, $65,000 in combined fines rained down. Through all this, one head coach was scrambling to walk back comments that only made things worse.

On Monday morning, Mickey Joseph stood before cameras wearing glasses and holding a prepared statement, his voice steady but clearly contrite. “I want to just make this clear because I won’t be asked to answer any more questions about this situation,” the Grambling State HC said, reading carefully from his notes. 

He added, “The moment doesn’t reflect who we are at Grambling, and we take full accountability of maintaining the integrity of the game and remain committed to learning from this incident and moving forward in the right spirit, remembering cool heads prevail and calm is a superpower.” The apology felt forced, but it was necessary, especially after his post-game remarks sent shockwaves through HBCU football circles. 

Joseph didn’t help matters when he addressed reporters after Grambling’s 31-23 victory. He pointed fingers at Bethune-Cookman for what he characterized as intentional disrespect. “That’s the disrespect stuff,” Joseph said in comments that immediately went viral. “We’re not going to tolerate disrespect here at Grambling. You won’t disrespect us. We’re going to meet disrespect with disrespect.”

He claimed that Bethune-Cookman players delayed their exit from the locker room, which contributed to the confrontation. But the video evidence showed both teams converging at roughly the same time. Players from both sidelines rushed toward the melee, and punches were thrown from all directions. Coaches, officials, and even local police had to step in to break things up. That’s why the hefty fines. 

The SWAC issued fines of $40,000 to Grambling State and $25,000 to Bethune-Cookman. At the time, nine players were immediately ejected from the game. It forced both teams to play undermanned for the remainder of the contest. Later, the suspension count rose; 18 players from the Tigers and nine players from the Wildcats were officially suspended. Unlike Joseph, Grambling State’s AD had a more responsible take after the game. 

Tigers athletics director, Trayvean Scott, preceded Mickey Joseph at the press conference. He took full responsibility and issued his own apology to the university family and stakeholders. He acknowledged that while circumstances led to the incident, there were no excuses. ​The chaos erupted right as both teams emerged from their locker rooms for the second half.

The tempers were already running hot after a physical first half. Video footage captured the scene unfolding near the tunnel area. Social media was filled with a myriad of reactions. Some fans called for Joseph’s job. Others were saying that the legendary Grambling coach, Eddie Robinson, would be spinning in his grave. Later, the athletics director clarified that while he understood Mickey Joseph’s emotions in the heat of the moment, the coach never explicitly condoned violence. But Joseph saying, “Meet disrespect with disrespect,” certainly sounds like an endorsement of violence. 

SWAC drops the hammer

The SWAC made it abundantly clear that this type of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland announced the penalties Monday afternoon. “We’re extremely disappointed by the events that transpired during halftime of the Bethune-Cookman at Grambling State football game,” McClelland said in the official release. 

“Acts of that nature have zero place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and intercollegiate athletics. The Conference Office has and will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for all acts deemed to be unsportsmanlike and contrary to the high standard of good sportsmanship we expect from all individuals associated with the athletics programs within our league.” Another reason Grambling State bore the brunt of fines was due to their players attacking Bethune-Cookman’s coaching staff. 

Head coach Raymond Woodie claimed that members of his program were unsuccessful in trying to de-escalate the situation. “One of our coaches got swung at,” he said. “I don’t know how you can prevent that part of it, but he was being professional—trying to make sure things stayed calm.” These suspensions were justified not just by the immediate chaos but by the broader message the conference needed to send about maintaining standards across HBCU football programs.

This is magnified especially after similar incidents earlier in the season involving Fort Valley State and Central State that resulted in 20 suspensions and coaching suspensions. The timing couldn’t be worse for Grambling, which at 7-3 overall and 4-2 in SWAC play is still fighting for a division title in what’s been its first winning season since 2019.​