Whatever the issues that led to the post-game issues Saturday between Nevada and Utah State, the Mountain West Conference is staying out of it.
The league conducted an investigation into the court storming at Utah State and the events in the handshake line and determined that it would be up to the two schools to determine if any further action should be needed, the conference announced Monday.
“After a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Saturday night’s incident, which included a review of numerous video clips from various sources and the collection of written statements from multiple individuals,” the conference said in a prepared statement, “the Mountain West has concluded the situation was not caused by the court rush. There was a postgame management plan in place and it was executed successfully.
“Rather, inappropriate conduct by individuals from both programs in the postgame handshake line and subsequently in the locker room areas created the unfortunate circumstances. The Conference office has had multiple communications with both athletics directors and has shared the findings of its review. Each institution will be responsible for the determination and administration of what it deems appropriate disciplinary action for those involved. It must be made clear unsportsmanlike and unprofessional conduct is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”
After Utah State’s 81-76 upset of Nevada, a dispute in the handshake line spilled into the hallways of the arena and ultimately there was video of Jordan Caroline striking a glass case in anger.
Nevada coach Eric Musselman tweeted a statement in support of Caroline.
As someone who’s had the honor to know and coach Jordan Caroline for four years, I can testify to his outstanding character, high moral standards and strong integrity. He’s kind, compassionate, and competitive.
— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) March 4, 2019