WMU Broncos Football Team Allegedly Trashed Idaho Lockers

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Football players from Western Michigan University knocked some locker room sinks loose, broke a trophy and caused other damage after their game against the University of Idaho last month, according to emails between school officials.

The damage was bad enough that Idaho's athletic director, Rob Spear, decided to bill Western Michigan $500 for cleanup and repair costs.

Western Michigan beat Idaho 45-33 on Idaho's home turf Sept. 13. It was during the Broncos' victory celebration that the damage occurred, according to emails and photos that The Associated Press obtained through a public records request.

"As you will see the locker room was left quite messy," UI Athletic Director Rob Spear wrote to Kathy Beauregard, the director of athletics at Western Michigan, in an email sent Sept. 15. The Western Michigan team was using locker rooms that are normally used by Idaho's track and field team, and they contained team memorabilia.

In the email, Spear wrote that a championship track and field plaque was broken, and a signed marketing poster from the winning track and field team was torn off the wall and cooked in a microwave along with other items.

"We may have more serious problems related to the damage done to the sink's (sic) in locker rooms A&B," Spear wrote. "Apparently those sinks are loose and may need to be remounted."

The emails also indicate a ceiling tile was broken, items were destroyed and stolen from lockers, and one locker was written on. Trash — including food wrappers, cups and banana peels — were strewn across the floor along with dirty towels.

Beauregard apologized and said Western Michigan would pay the requested $500.

"Again we do apologize and if it helps at all we have implemented new policies to make sure we never put any team we play in this situation again," Beauregard wrote in an email to Spear.

Beauregard couldn't be immediately reached by the AP for comment.

Becky Paull, spokeswoman for UI's athletic department, said she couldn't answer if this was the first time the school's locker rooms had been damaged by a visiting team.

"This is the first time it's made national news," Paull said. "When we open a locker room and prepare for our teams, we prepare like any good host would — as if you were having someone in your house."

The Lewiston Tribune and the Michigan news website Mlive.com reported earlier that Idaho had sent Western Michigan a $500 bill but those reports did not detail the damage.

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