Maryland Fined $10K, Stefon Diggs Suspended 1 Game by Big Ten

Unorthodox pregame tactics by Maryland's football captains have resulted in the Terrapins being fined $10,000 by the Big Ten and a one-game suspension for star receiver Stefon Diggs.    

Brett McMurphy of ESPN reported the news Monday:

Diggs leads Maryland with 654 yards and five touchdowns receiving this season. He is one of the three captains who refused to shake hands with Penn State during Saturday's opening coin toss.

The Terrapins, who also got into a skirmish with the Nittany Lions before kickoff, went on to win the game 20-19, but the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty they drew after the coin toss came back to haunt them.

The following excerpts from the Big Ten's official release on the matter provides further insight into the reasoning behind the conference's actions:

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The Big Ten determined that [coach Randy] Edsall failed to control his team prior to the game when Maryland players initiated a confrontation with Penn State players. The officials did a good job of containing the situation once it started, and fortunately the incident did not escalate any further. In addition to Edsall's public reprimand, the conference announced that the institution has been fined $10,000 as a result of the violation.

[...] Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01 states in part that 'The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.'

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Matt Zenitz of the Baltimore Sun Media Groups documented what Maryland head coach Randy Edsall had to say about Monday's disciplinary action:

Diggs also weighed in on his temporary banishment ahead of the Terrapins' Nov. 15 matchup with the mighty Michigan State Spartans:

The showdown with Sparty represents a great opportunity for Maryland to make an impression in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, the actions the Terrapins took in the Penn State game will somewhat overshadow and scar that ongoing effort.

The task of pulling off a monumental upset will become all the more mountainous, too, without a playmaker like Diggs in the lineup.