ESPN
A University of Texas-El Paso fan is facing investigation after picking up a chair and seemingly threatening Jacksonville State after a wild ending in Saturday’s Conference USA men’s basketball game between the two teams.
Jacksonville State won the regular-season finale, 64-61, on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Mostapha El Moutaouakkil. But it’s after the game when the fireworks really kicked off.
With the teams walking through the handshake line, the fan appeared to begin yelling at JSU players before picking up a chair and waving it in the direction of the players. Jacksonville State players then had to be held back by staffers after engaging in an argument with the fan.
UTEP, Jacksonville State and Conference USA will review an altercation that appeared to involve a UTEP fan picking up a chair in a fiery exchange with Jacksonville State players on Saturday.
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— ESPN (@espn) March 8, 2026
Conference USA And Both Schools To Investigate UTEP-Jacksonville State Madness
After the incident, both Conference USA and UTEP’s athletic director, Jim Senter, addressed the matter, while Jacksonville State said it would defer to the conference regarding the matter.
“We are going to review the video when we attain it,” Sentner said in a statement to ESPN. “We will take appropriate action as needed.”
Meanwhile, CUSA spokesperson Josh Yonis told ESPN that the conference is “…Reviewing the incident in conjunction with both [athletic directors], but we do not have a statement at this time.”
Thankfully, Jacksonville State personnel and police officers stepped in to prevent an even uglier situation and diffuse the matter. Though other videos appeared to show additional UTEP fans going back-and-forth with Jacksonville State players after the game ended.
ESPN’s broadcast of the game claimed that the fans had been going back and forth with Jacksonville State players throughout the contest before the dustup.
With the loss, UTEP was knocked out of contention for a spot in the CUSA conference tournament. Jacksonville State, on the other hand, enters as the No. 7 seed and will face 10th-seeded New Mexico State in the first round on Tuesday.