Florida coach Urban Meyer was fined $30,000 by the Southeastern Conference for criticizing officials.

Commissioner Mike Slive announced the fine Friday, two days after Meyer said referees missed a late hit against quarterback Tim Tebow in No. 1 Florida's 41-17 win against Georgia.

The fine is the first since the SEC changed its policy about coaches publicly criticizing officials. The conference has done away with reprimands and made the punishment either a fine or a suspension.

Meyer issued a statement of apology following the fine.

KEEPING IT PUBLIC: The final regular-season ballot of every voter in the USA Today college football coaches' poll will remain public.

The coaches had considered making those votes confidential. But Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said Friday it will stay an open ballot.

The coaches' poll helps decide which teams play in the BCS national championship game.

Ballots in The Associated Press' college football poll are available to the public from the preseason to the final post-bowl vote.

BAND CRASH: A dozen students and a bus driver are being treated for injuries after three buses carrying members of the renowned Grambling State University marching band were involved in a traffic crash in southern Arkansas.

Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

Sadler said four buses from the school in north Louisiana were near Fordyce, Ark., on Friday when the second bus slowed. The two trailing buses each hit the bus ahead.

In all, 126 students were aboard.

Grambling is scheduled to play Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 1 p.m. today in Little Rock.