The SWAC issued fines and player suspensions following an altercation between the Mississippi Valley State and Alabama State women’s basketball teams on Thursday in Montgomery.
The league said a review determined both programs violated the conference’s code of ethics and conduct through acts of unsportsmanlike behavior.
As a result, four players were disciplined for their roles in the incident.
Two Mississippi Valley State players and one Alabama State player received one-game suspensions, while a second Alabama State player was suspended for two games.
The conference did not publicly identify the players involved or detail their specific actions.
“The Southwestern Athletic Conference upholds an extremely high standard of good sportsmanship and does not condone unsportsmanlike behavior of any kind,” the league said in its statement. “We will continue to work diligently to provide our member institutions with the necessary guidance and resources to support good sportsmanship and healthy competition at all times.”
In addition to the suspensions, the SWAC levied $25,000 fines against Mississippi Valley State and Alabama State, citing league bylaws and sports regulations.
The penalties mirror recent conference actions in other altercation cases, in which the SWAC has paired player suspensions with institutional fines of the same amount, the SWAC said.
Alabama State also issued a response, emphasizing that the conduct during the game fell short of its standards.
“Alabama State Athletics does not condone the actions that took place during tonight’s contest against Mississippi Valley State University,” the department said in a statement attributed to athletic director Jason Cable, vice president of intercollegiate athletics. “Sportsmanship, discipline, and respect for the game are core values of our department and our institution. The behavior displayed does not reflect the standards and expectations we hold for our student-athletes, coaches, or program.”
