The Big 12 has suspended an officiating crew for allowing Missouri to punt after scoring a touchdown rather than attempting a traditional kickoff in the Tigers’ 42-31 win against Kansas on Saturday.
Missouri scored a touchdown with 10:53 left in the first quarter but was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, which backed up the Tigers to their 20-yard line on the ensuing kickoff. Missouri’s Connor Weselman punted the ball rather than kicking off from a tee.
For punting on the kickoff, officials should have assessed Missouri a 5-yard penalty for an illegal kick, which would have given Kansas the ball at its 43-yard line rather than its 38.
According to a Big 12 statement, the play violated Rule 2, Section 16, Article 6 of NCAA Football rules, which reads: “A kickoff is a free kick that starts each half and follows each try or successful field goal attempt (Exception: In extra periods). It must be a place kick or a drop kick.”
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz asked the officials if the Tigers could punt the kickoff but knew it was against the rules.
“Just wanted to see if we could,” Drinkwitz said today at his weekly news conference. “It’s like asking your parents if you can do something that you know they probably shouldn’t let you do. But sometimes they get it wrong.
“We told them (the officiating crew) they’d screwed up a lot of stuff in the game. That was just one of them. But kudos to (special teams coach Eric) Link. He asked if we could do that, just because we had seen in the pregame where they struggled with the sun and the fielding punts and knew that that was only allowable after a safety; that’s the only time you get a free kick. Other than that, you can either drop kick or use a tee. So, they said yes. What were we supposed to say?”
The Big 12 officiating crew, which was assigned to the cross-conference matchup, was reprimanded and removed from its upcoming scheduled game on Friday.
“We believe we have one of the best officiating programs in college football,” Big 12 chief football and competition officer Scott Draper said in a statement. “When the Conference’s high standard for officiating is not met, the Big 12 will take action.”
(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)
Sep 9, 2025
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