Big 12 fines Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades $25,000 for blasting league officials

By
Michael Haag
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Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades follows a train of other athletic directors across the conference to be hit with a $25,000 fine following comments about officials. Lariat file photo

By Michael Haag | Sports Editor

Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades had to bust out the checkbook following his postgame comments about Big 12 officials on Saturday.

The Big 12 fined Rhoades $25,000 on Tuesday, just three days after he said the officiating crew from the Baylor-Iowa State men’s basketball game was an “embarrassment” to the league.

Commissioner Brett Yormark released a statement that said Big 12 Conference members have to adhere to league policies about officiating matters.

“As the top basketball conference in the country the competitive balance in this league leads to extremely intense competition, and it can be very difficult to balance support for an institution’s teams while fully complying with the agreed upon expectations,” Yormark said. “On this occasion, the required discipline was not exercised.”

The Big 12 statement did not address details regarding foul calls, the specific officiating crew or an explanation as to why Baylor head coach Scott Drew was ejected for the first time in his career.

Rhoades was critical of the officiating crew from the Bears’ 70-68 win, saying they didn’t match the quality of what he believes to be the best basketball conference in the country.

“This league needs to get better when we think about our officiating,” Rhoades said after the game. “And we have some great, great officials. But this particular crew tonight did not match the level of this game, and that shouldn’t happen in this league.”

The Big 12 Conference has a rule against coaches or athletic directors publicly speaking on officiating. Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt (2019) and Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard (2014) have been hit with $25,000 fines for breaking this rule.

GXG, an NIL initiative supporting Baylor student-athletes, started a “Back Mack” donation campaign following Rhoades’ fine. It’s intended to support student athletes in increments of 25.

Rhoades’ comments came following Drew’s first career ejection. Drew, who’s been at Baylor for 21 years and been a head coach for 22, was assessed his second technical with about 11 ½ minutes left in the second half.

The Bears’ bench was hit with another technical foul seconds later.

Iowa State capitalized during that stretch, as it went on a 20-0 run over the next five ½ minutes to take a seven-point lead. Baylor held a 54-41 lead with 13:17 left in the game up until that massive Cyclones run.

Yormark, who’s in his third year as Big 12 commissioner, was court-side for the Baylor-Iowa State game but reportedly left during halftime before the controversy occurred. The conference’s officiating crew consisted of Jeb Hartness, Chance Moore and Christopher Merlo.

When asked what he could do about the situation after the game, Rhoades said he wasn’t sure, but that he’d be calling the league office.

Both of Drew’s technical fouls — the first coming midway through the first half — were supposedly because he was outside the coaching box near the bench area. Drew said those details weren’t made clear to him.

“I don’t think I got explanations all night long,” Drew said after Saturday’s game. “It’ll all be broken down. It’ll all be sent to the league.”

No. 13-ranked Baylor is set to host No. 23 Texas Tech at 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the Foster Pavilion. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.

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