Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
Statement from EMU Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee
12/24/2023 1:55:00 PM | Football
An official statement from Eastern Michigan University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee
"We strongly condemn the actions of some of the student-athletes on the EMU football team in the ugly incident that took place following last night's 68 Ventures Bowl. We are deeply upset and embarrassed by what happened. Their conduct does not reflect the great pride and high standards we place on the game and our program, and the expectations for good sportsmanship and exemplary conduct of student-athletes on and off the field. What happened was completely unacceptable. We apologize to the Eastern Michigan University community and to the South Alabama team and their fans. I have been in contact with South Alabama Director of Athletics Joel Erdmann to express our sincere apologies and Coach Creighton has done the same with Coach Wommack. We are committed to sharing information and video to fully understand all that occurred. As Coach Creighton stated in the postgame press conference, there is absolutely no place for this kind of incident in the Eastern Michigan University football program. University President James Smith and I have been in contact with Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher and we are committed to working jointly to investigate the incident in accordance with institutional and Conference policies. We are continuing to review the situation and the conduct of the student-athletes involved and will take appropriate action as more information is gathered."
Joel Erdmann, South Alabama Director of Athletics, has issued the following statement in response to a statement released by Eastern Michigan University:
"I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation and gratitude to Jerry Silverstein and the City of Mobile for inviting us to participate in the 2023 68 Ventures Bowl. Our student-athletes and coaches enjoyed a first-class experience, and we are proud of them for winning the first bowl championship in school history in front of our loyal fans and community. It is an achievement that will not soon be forgotten. While we are disappointed in the incident that occurred following our team's victory, we are grateful to the leadership at Eastern Michigan University for taking ownership of the incident and reaching out to our leadership here at South Alabama to apologize and ensure us they will fully investigate the matter. We do not believe this incident is in any way reflective of the values of Eastern Michigan University or its football program. We hope this situation will not take away from the fact that the Jaguars are 68 Ventures Bowl Champions."
Statement from Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher
"I share in the disappointment regarding the postgame incident involving Eastern Michigan student-athlete Korey Hernandez following the 68 Ventures Bowl. The actions following the game fall far short of the standards of sportsmanship and conduct expected in the Mid-American Conference. The Mid-American Conference does note that the student-athlete took responsibly for the incident and did issue a public apology. As a result of the event, the MAC and Eastern Michigan University have jointly sanctioned the football team for violation of the Conference's and institution's sportsmanship policies. Members of the football program will participate in a community service initiative in the spring semester as well as participate in educational programming focused on conflict resolution. Additionally, the institution will revise their postgame on-field procedures for both home and away games."
"We strongly condemn the actions of some of the student-athletes on the EMU football team in the ugly incident that took place following last night's 68 Ventures Bowl. We are deeply upset and embarrassed by what happened. Their conduct does not reflect the great pride and high standards we place on the game and our program, and the expectations for good sportsmanship and exemplary conduct of student-athletes on and off the field. What happened was completely unacceptable. We apologize to the Eastern Michigan University community and to the South Alabama team and their fans. I have been in contact with South Alabama Director of Athletics Joel Erdmann to express our sincere apologies and Coach Creighton has done the same with Coach Wommack. We are committed to sharing information and video to fully understand all that occurred. As Coach Creighton stated in the postgame press conference, there is absolutely no place for this kind of incident in the Eastern Michigan University football program. University President James Smith and I have been in contact with Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher and we are committed to working jointly to investigate the incident in accordance with institutional and Conference policies. We are continuing to review the situation and the conduct of the student-athletes involved and will take appropriate action as more information is gathered."
Joel Erdmann, South Alabama Director of Athletics, has issued the following statement in response to a statement released by Eastern Michigan University:
"I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation and gratitude to Jerry Silverstein and the City of Mobile for inviting us to participate in the 2023 68 Ventures Bowl. Our student-athletes and coaches enjoyed a first-class experience, and we are proud of them for winning the first bowl championship in school history in front of our loyal fans and community. It is an achievement that will not soon be forgotten. While we are disappointed in the incident that occurred following our team's victory, we are grateful to the leadership at Eastern Michigan University for taking ownership of the incident and reaching out to our leadership here at South Alabama to apologize and ensure us they will fully investigate the matter. We do not believe this incident is in any way reflective of the values of Eastern Michigan University or its football program. We hope this situation will not take away from the fact that the Jaguars are 68 Ventures Bowl Champions."
Statement from Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher
"I share in the disappointment regarding the postgame incident involving Eastern Michigan student-athlete Korey Hernandez following the 68 Ventures Bowl. The actions following the game fall far short of the standards of sportsmanship and conduct expected in the Mid-American Conference. The Mid-American Conference does note that the student-athlete took responsibly for the incident and did issue a public apology. As a result of the event, the MAC and Eastern Michigan University have jointly sanctioned the football team for violation of the Conference's and institution's sportsmanship policies. Members of the football program will participate in a community service initiative in the spring semester as well as participate in educational programming focused on conflict resolution. Additionally, the institution will revise their postgame on-field procedures for both home and away games."
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