UNLV Head Apologizes for Brawl

Utah State University President Stanford Cazier has received a letter of apology from his University of Nevada-Las Vegas counterpart over the behavior of UNLV players in a basketball brawl last week.

“The behavior of all our players involved in the disturbance (Feb. 1) at the Utah State-UNLV game was inexcusable,” UNLV President Robert Maxon wrote. “I am ashamed and embarrassed. On behalf of all of us here at UNLV, I apologize to you and to the entire Utah State University community for that behavior.”

Maxon has blamed UNLV players for the fight. A three-game suspension was imposed on Rebel player Chris Jeter after an investigation of the incident.

In his letter, released by Cazier in a news release received today, Maxon assured the USU president that “such acts do not represent the more than 16,000 law-abiding, decent students here who are appalled as I am.”

Cazier said he appreciated Maxon’s comments about the fight, which he called “an unfortunate occurrence for collegiate sports.”

Cazier said he hoped the incident “can be put behind us now and that any unpleasant aftermath can be avoided when Las Vegas plays here next month (March 1). I am having our Athletics Department and Student Services people do all they can to see that we avoid any trouble then.”