DETROIT (WWJ) - The Cass Tech and Detroit King football game at Wayne State came to an abrupt end Friday night.
A statement from DPSCD Athletics Executive Director Jay Alexander said the game was forced to be shut down due to a “large number of individuals who entered the stadium without tickets by jumping the perimeter fence.” Wayne State Police made the decision to end the game because of the safety and crowd control concerns.
In an article from WXYZ, the tension began during the coin toss. Referees were forced to intervene when the captains for the Detroit King Crusaders refused to shake the hands of the Cass Tech Technicians. Cass Tech was leading 20 to 0 in the third quarter, which is when the game was ended.
Tickets for the game weren’t oversold, he said. All tickets had to be purchased in advance. 5,095 tickets were sold, and complimentary staff tickets brought the total attendance to 5,546. The capacity for WSU Stadium is 6,439.
Videos and posts on social media also claim that several fights broke out between fans.
“We deeply regret the disruption and appreciate the understanding, patience and continued support from our community,” Alexander said. “Our priority remains the safety of everyone involved and preserving the integrity of the student-athlete experience.”
The game will resume at King High School at 2 p.m. Saturday, but only the players’ parents and cheerleading teams will be allowed to attend.