A referee flagged Miami (Ohio) for unsportsmanlike conduct over the images it displayed on its football stadium's video screen while an opponent lined up a field goal.

The RedHawks ran several pictures of the goalposts across the jumbotron as Ohio University kicker Brack Peacock set up a kick with six seconds left in the first half, ESPN reported. Peacock missed the attempt with the Bobcats leading 17-7.

Officials flagged the home team and gave OU an automatic first down.

Stadium video, audio, and lighting crews cannot create distractions that interfere with play, according to NCAA rule 9-2-1. The officials determined that the goalpost display crossed that line.

Ohio took over first-and-goal at the 8-yard line and came away with nothing. Magnus Haines looked for Evan Herrmann. Blayne Myrick knocked the pass away. Miami then reeled off 34 straight points to win 34-17, led by true freshman quarterback Drew Bellisari, ESPN stated.

The penalty fell under a rule the NCAA widened for the 2026 season to cover video board and lighting operators, On3 reported. Oklahoma State's video board showed yellow vertical lines resembling the uprights during a Texas field goal in 2020, according to CBS Sports.

The college call followed a similar crackdown in the NFL. The league told all 32 teams in a Sept. 7 memo that stadium video boards must show the same image to home and visiting kickers and established penalties for violators, NBC Sports stated.

Teams may run a live All-22 angle or a static picture during kicks, provided both sides see the identical feed. New England had displayed video of the goalposts behind the real ones for years to rattle visiting kickers. The team used the tactic only against opponents, but the league had allowed the practice until the September memo.