(NewsNation Now) — While Juwan Howard and Greg Gard can’t seem to settle on the finer points of basketball etiquette, the Big Ten is issuing the final word.

The conference has accepted the University of Michigan’s self-imposed five-game suspension of Howard. He’ll miss the rest of the regular season over the incident during the game against rival Wisconsin where Howard, a former NBA star, appeared to punch or slap the Badgers coach after the game.

Howard was frustrated over Gard calling timeouts late in what had become a blowout game against an arch-rival, more or less prolonging the agony for a Wolverines team that has struggled to maintain a .500 record this year.

The Big Ten also fined Howard $50,000 and Gard $10,000 for violation of sportsmanship policies, and suspended three players who appeared to throw punches one game each.

In a statement, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said he expects the incident will provide the opportunity to reflect, learn and move forward in a manner that reflects decorum and leadership on and off the court.

Howard issued remarks of his own, calling his actions and words unacceptable. “I am truly sorry,” he said. “I will learn from my mistake and this mistake will never happen again. No e