MSU fined $100K, one Spartan player suspended an additional 8 games by Big Ten
After waiting for law enforcement investigations to conclude and for the Washtenaw Country Prosecutor's Office to levy charges, the Big Ten Conference has announced additional punishments for Michigan State University for the incident inside the Michigan Stadium tunnel.
On Monday, the conference announced a $100,000 fine for MSU and an additional eight-game suspension for Spartan defensive back Khary Crump, who was charged with felonious assault for allegedly striking a Wolverine player with his helmet.
“The Big Ten Conference has a standard of excellence both academically and athletically that has been built over 127 years,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement. “Our standards require that our student-athletes, coaches and staff members represent the conference, and their member institutions, with the highest level of decorum and sportsmanship. We are taking disciplinary action and will continue to work with our member institutions to strengthen their gameday procedures and ensure our honored traditions.”
The University of Michigan, meanwhile, was given a verbal reprimand by the Big Ten, and nothing more.
“The conference has concluded that the University of Michigan did not meet the standards of the Big Ten Conference Football Game Management Manual policy,” the conference said in a statement. “The policy requires the conference member institution game host to provide adequate protection for personnel of both home and visiting teams when entering and leaving playing arenas.”
The fine levied against Michigan State is the largest in the history of the Big Ten Conference, surpassing the $40,000 fine that Michigan received after Wolverines head basketball coach Juwan Howard struck a Wisconsin assistant in a handshake line following a game last year.
In its statement on Monday, the Big Ten said it determined that seven Michigan State players “participated in the hitting, kicking or using of their helmet to strike University of Michigan student-athletes.” The two Wolverines involved, Gemon Green and Ja’Den McBurrows, were not named by the conference.
“Members of both teams did not represent the level of sportsmanship that is expected from the Big Ten Conference and its member institutions," the statement read.
In addition to Crump's charge of felonious assault, Michigan State players Jacoby Windmon, Angelo Grose, Justin White, Itayvion Brown, Brandon Wright and Zion Young were each charged with aggravated assault — a misdemeanor. Each of the above players missed the final four games of the 2022 season.
The Big Ten ruled that the punishment that the six players who received the misdemeanor charge have already received “is sufficient and has been completed”. Michigan State has since announced that Windmon, Grose, White, Brown, Wright and Young had all been reinstated to the team.
Joint Statement from Michigan State Vice President & Director of Athletics Alan Haller and Michigan State Head Football Coach Mel Tucker pic.twitter.com/umIzUDuDma
— Michigan State Athletics (@MSU_Athletics) November 28, 2022
The eighth Michigan State player whom Tucker suspended, Malcolm Jones, was not charged and was reinstated by Tucker last week, after serving a three-game suspension.
An unnamed Spartans football staff member also was cited for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy, and the Big Ten said MSU handled the situation sufficiently.
Michigan State University interim president Teresa Woodruff issued the following statement after the Big Ten handed down its ruling and punishments:
MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff's statement following the announcement of charges filed against seven MSU football players. pic.twitter.com/xZ7NS46cSB
— Jenna Malinowski (@malinowskijenna) November 23, 2022
