Following Texas A&M Commerce’s 76–72 overtime win Monday over Incarnate Word, the two Southland Conference teams met at center court to shake hands when the opposing players suddenly began throwing hands instead.
As reported by Sports Illustrated, it took a long time for things to de-escalate, with coaches from both schools attempting to separate their brawling players.
"The commentators on the ESPN broadcast looked on in dismay as the fight dragged on for more than a full minute," Karl Rasmussen of SI wrote, "with one commentator noting that a team manager appeared to have been bloodied up amid the mayhem."
Another announcer added that a young fan appeared to get caught up in the altercation in San Antonio.
"Someone in the crowd was hurt and hit. It looks like young a girl...” said the commentator, as reported by SI.
Handshake lines have come under scrutiny in recent years for the occasional brawl that results. AB Today has reported on five such incidents since February 2020 alone. And it's not just players entering the fray. Michigan head coach Juwan Howard notoriously took a swing at a Wisconsin assistant coach two years ago to the day, and faced a five game suspension and a $40,000 fine for his actions.
"There will likely be punishments handed down by the NCAA as a result of Monday night’s violent brawl, which caused quite a stir on social media," Rasmussen reported. "The college basketball world was in disbelief at the scenes in San Antonio, and fans had plenty of reaction to the melee on X."
Basketball journalist Seth Davis called for "No more handshake lines." David Eickholt — who covers University of Iowa football, basketball and recruiting for 247Sports and CBS Sports — beat Davis to the proverbial punch, tweeting eight minutes earlier, "We should have been done with mandatory handshake lines YEARS ago."
In a joint statement late Monday, Incarnate Word and A&M-Commerce — each of which entered the game with a mere three conference victories — issued apologies "for the behavior exhibited by our respective men's basketball programs."
"There is no place in college sports for such actions," the statement read, as reported by ESPN "The unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred after the game does not reflect the values of the universities involved, as well as the Southland Conference and their member institutions. The matter is currently being reviewed collectively by the Conference office and both institutions as the safety of our student-athletes, staff, and fans is our primary concern."
The Southland Conference also issued a brief statement addressing the melee, saying it is aware of the "end-of-game situation that occurred."
"We will be working closely with both universities to review the footage and issue appropriate disciplinary action," the Southland said in its statement. "Unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable in the Southland Conference and the safety of our student-athletes, spectators, and officials remains a top priority."
