University of Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan took the road less traveled over the weekend — and it cost him.
Harlan might as well have paid for an entire year of out-of-state tuition for the public university in Salt Lake City.
Taking the untraditional route of meeting with the media before his head coach could, the Utah AD ripped into the officiating crew — and the Big 12 — after his Utes lost 22-21 to the BYU Cougars, thanks, in part, to a controversial holding call.
With the game winding down in the fourth quarter, it appeared that Utah would win after stopping BYU on fourth down deep in its own territory. However, a defensive holding penalty kept the drive going, and a field goal from Will Ferrin gave BYU a dramatic 22-21 victory.
Here’s the penalty in question:
A better angle of the holding that Utah lost their minds about. pic.twitter.com/Y2xNA5uL2t
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) November 10, 2024
“This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan claimed. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight, I am not. “We won this game; someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed, I will talk to the commissioner. This is not fair to our team. I am disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.”
Harlan talked to the commissioner — and it resulted in a $40,000 fine.
“Mark’s comments irresponsibly challenged the professionalism of our officials and the integrity of the Big 12 conference,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “There is a right way and a wrong way to voice concerns. Unfortunately, Mark chose the wrong way. Accordingly, this violation warrants a public reprimand and financial penalty. The Big 12 conference prioritizes professionalism, integrity, and fairness and will continue to do so.”
Brett Yormark ain’t taking that shit from Utah AD Mark Harlan. pic.twitter.com/axnBaP2qlz
— Heartland College Sports (@Heartland_CS) November 10, 2024
Harlan later issued a more tempered statement via ESPN, expressing regret for the timing of his comments and reaffirming Utah’s commitment to the Big 12.
“My comments came after having just left our team locker room where our student-athletes were hurting and upset,” he said. “The University of Utah is proud to be a member of the Big 12 Conference, and we look forward to working with our peers to continue to enhance the league. BYU, Coach Sitake, and their coaches and student-athletes are having a terrific season, and we wish them the very best.”
[ESPN]
