Lawmaker pushes to make flag-planting in Ohio Stadium a felony

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio lawmaker is saying his effort to make it a felony to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium could return in 2025.

Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) introduced House Bill 700, or the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act, on Tuesday, but word came from Ohio House leaders on Wednesday that it was unlikely to see a vote before this legislative session ends.

Williams said he introduced the legislation in response to a Nov. 30 brawl that broke out after the Ohio State-Michigan game. It would make it a fifth-degree felony to plant a flag "in the center" of the Ohio Stadium football field on the day of a college football competition. 

“This is in response to the incident that caused risk not only of bodily injury to our law enforcement officers that were providing security at the game, but to our student athletes as well, and it's intended to promote sportsmanship,” Williams told NBC4.

After the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 13-10, Michigan players planted their team flag at midfield and were immediately confronted by Ohio State players, leading to a chaotic scuffle. The brawl resulted in responses from multiple police agencies, with officers using pepper spray to end it. The following day, the Big Ten fined the schools $100,000 each.

“We have the number one rivalry in the nation, something that needs to be preserved,” Williams said. “The integrity of that rivalry needs to be preserved. Sportsmanship needs to be taught, all the way from peewee football, all the way up to college football and professional.”

The one-page bill, as currently written, only applies only to the Ohio Stadium, and prohibits the planting of all flags, including Ohio State flags. 

“We don't want to see that type of conduct, period,” Williams said. “After we win games or lose games, we should be shaking hands, congratulating the winner, going to our locker rooms and you know, looking back on our accomplishments or our inabilities during the previous game and suiting up for the next one.”

A fifth-degree felony – the charge named in the bill – is the lowest-level felony in Ohio. Those convicted face a mandatory 6-12 months in prison and up to a $2,500 fine. The court may also impose up to five years of probation. 

With this legislative session concluding at the end of the month, it is improbable the bill will pass. The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry shifts to Ann Arbor in 2025 but should be back at Ohio Stadium in November 2026.

Williams said it is possible he will reintroduce the legislation next year. 

“We will reevaluate going into the next General Assembly,” Williams said. “We're going to be encouraging our public institutions to engage in some thoughtful process as to how we can better regulate this conduct within the team environment.”

Scuffles over flag planting also ensued after multiple other football games the same weekend as the Ohio State-Michigan game, including matchups between Florida State vs. Florida, North Carolina State vs. North Carolina, and Arizona State vs. Arizona.