NCAA suspends Ferris State's coach after players lit up cigars during postgame celebration

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If the defending Division II champion Ferris State Bulldogs reach the playoffs in 2023, their head coach will not be on the sidelines for the first game.

The NCAA handed head football coach Tony Annese a one-game playoff suspension after two of his players lit cigars in a smoke-free locker room following a second-straight national title.

Ferris State rolled past Colorado School of Mines 41-14 at McKinney ISD Stadium. 

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Head coach Tony Annese of the Ferris State Bulldogs against the Valdosta State Blazers during the Division II football championship at McKinney ISD Stadium Dec. 18, 2021, in McKinney, Texas. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The stadium, located outside Dallas, is used for high school games and strictly prohibits the use of tobacco on its grounds.

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Ferris State players also lit cigars after the school won the 2021 national title. After that, the school was fined and the players received a warning.

Annese said he stressed his zero-tolerance policy as it related to smoking cigars before the game. 

"We are committed to running a program representing the ideals and values of Ferris State University, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the NCAA," Annese said in a statement Thursday. "I understand the concerns raised by the NCAA. Immediately after the game, while I was in the postgame press conference, the two issues cited by the NCAA were addressed by my coaching staff. 

An unidentified player removes the headset from head coach