IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa wide receiver Nico Ragaini did not hold back when talking about the officiating in Saturday's 20-13 Hawkeye win over Iowa State.
When asked if he thought pass interference should've been called on the second-quarter interception by ISU's Jeremiah Cooper, Ragaini responded with some choice words.
“What’s the NCAA or Big Ten going to fine me if I say that’s a horse-s--- f---ing call?” Ragaini said. “I probably shouldn’t have dropped an f-bomb in there, but godd---.”
Those comments prompted a public reprimand from the Big Ten for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy.
The policy states:
“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.”
The conference went on to say that they consider the matter to be concluded.
Ragaini issued an apology shortly after saying, "I want to apologize for my public criticism of Saturday’s officiating. I am a competitive person and player. My comments reflected my passion for the game, and I apologize for my choice of language.”