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Grambling State’s win over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday was marred by a massive brawl that broke out at halftime.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced Monday that more than two dozen players had been suspended following the melee – nine players from Bethune-Cookman and 18 from Grambling State.
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Grambling State Tigers players during the Las Vegas HBCU Classic against the Jackson State Tigers at Allegiant Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)
“We are extremely disappointed by the events that occurred during halftime of the Bethune-Cookman football game at Grambling State,” SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland said in a statement. “Acts of this nature have no 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 unsportsmanlike and contrary to the high standards of sportsmanship we expect of all individuals associated with our league’s athletics programs.”
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats players watch the college football game between the Miami Hurricanes and Bethune-Cookman on September 6, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ESPN’s Kalan Hooks posted footage of the incident on X. The video showed several players throwing punches as coaches and officials tried to break it up.
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The game was close at halftime as Grambling State held a 24-20 lead. The Tigers won 31-23.
The SWAC said three of the 27 players involved were suspended for two games. The rest will be banned for one match.
Detailed view of a penalty flag during a football game on November 7, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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Grambling State was fined $40,000 and Bethune-Cookman was fined $25,000.
