An Oklahoma State football equipment manager was allegedly assaulted by Oklahoma fans during Saturday’s rivalry game in Norman.
According to Oklahoma City TV station KOKH, the Oklahoma State manager was in the stands to retrieve a football after an extra point during Oklahoma’s 41-13 home win over Oklahoma State. USA Today reported that it’s a tradition for Oklahoma fans to catch opponent’s game balls and throw them out of the stadium. The manager was booed by Oklahoma fans, while a video posted by KOKH shows them trying to steal the football away in an incident that reportedly led the manager to sustain a broken rib and several fractured ribs.
“The OU Athletics Department is aware of the interaction during Saturday night’s game between some fans and an Oklahoma State team staff member,” the Oklahoma athletic department said in a statement provided to The Washington Post. “The matter was immediately turned over to the OU Police Department and is under investigation with the athletics department’s full cooperation. No matter the outcome of the investigation, physical contact by any fan with an employee of any team is unacceptable. The department condemns the behavior of the involved fans, and once the individuals are identified, they will be banned from attending any future OU Athletics events.”
According to The Washington Post, Oklahoma is allowing 25 percent of the maximum capacity of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic.
