During last Saturday’s matchup between Temple and No. 24 Maine at Kent State, a decision to prematurely end the game and proceed with a fireworks show has sparked outrage among the teams involved.
With the game tied at 0-0 and even an additional period failing to break the deadlock, players were gearing up for a second extra period when instructed to vacate the field by a school official.
The fireworks were part of the pregame festivities for Kent State’s football team, leading to the reclassification of the encounter as a scrimmage. However, this move has not sat well with the competing teams.
Temple coach Susan Ciufo expressed concern about the implications of the sudden conclusion, stating, “The fact that it happened to a women’s sports team essentially put us back a little bit. I know we’re not a big revenue sport, but to make young women feel what they did for 70 minutes doesn’t really matter, what are we telling young female athletes about what it means to be an athlete?”
Ciufo revealed that both teams attempted to negotiate a shorter extra period or a shootout, but these efforts proved fruitless.
In response to the backlash, Kent State’s Athletic Director Joel Nielsen released a statement indicating that the university had “reviewed and altered our procedures to see that no student-athletes are faced with this situation in the future.” Nielsen also apologized to the players and coaches for the inconvenience caused.
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