After a particularly ugly edition of the annual Egg Bowl rivalry game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey requested that the ADs from both schools attend an offseason meeting to seek ways to build a “healthier environment” for the game.
Ole Miss AD Ross Bjork appears eager for the meeting.
As the Clarion Ledger reports, Bjork spoke to media about the commissioners request to media members on Tuesday. In his comments, Bjork said he “can’t wait” for the meeting, and that “It’s clear and evident why the rivalry took this wrong turn.”
“I’ve got a long list, and I can’t wait to stand up for our student-athletes and our university,” Bjork said.
Related: SEC Commissioner Summons ADs After Brawl
The latest edition of the rivalry game turned ugly when at the end of the third quarter, a bench-clearing brawl broke out. Punches were thrown, players were ejected, and an official penalized every player on both teams for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“It’s a passionate game,” said Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke. “It means a lot to everybody. But nobody wants to see that. Obviously there’s a right way to handle things.”
Bjork told reporters that his list of talking points for the meeting was already being fleshed out, but that many of the concerns he’ll note had been brought to Sankey’s attention previously.
“We need to have the right kind of rivalry,” Bjork said. “We get it. It’s passionate. I’m looking forward to that meeting because I want to be able to stand up for this program and especially our players.”
